National Renewable Energy Laboratory

From the ashes of the 2021 Marshall Fire, NREL Client and Infrastructure Services Manager Kevin Lombardo and his family constructed a home that’s not just resilient—but a model of futuristic design. With fire-resistant vents and passive design, the Lombardo family’s rebuild provides a fresh start that maximizes safety and helps to lower energy bills. Discover how Kevin's experiences at NREL helped him create a story of resilience in our latest article ➡️ https://bit.ly/3QxEAKk

Is it possible to keep the lights on during all periods of the year, including when the grid is most stressed? Interregional transmission is a potential solution. A study by NREL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory assesses regulatory challenges and potential opportunities to help overcome barriers to interregional transmission development in the United States. Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/40kqsZm

Internationally renowned plant biologist, Maureen McCann has been named a Senior Research Fellow, the highest technical position for a scientist at NREL. In this prestigious role, McCann will advise NREL’s executive leadership on the strategic direction of laboratory research as it works toward advancing R&D breakthroughs. Learn more about McCann's appointment: https://bit.ly/4hF5HPz

A new Colorado Science Bowl winner has been crowned! The Stargate Charter School team, who entered the competition just two days before the event closed to applicants, defeated reigning champions Fossil Ridge. The Stargate team now looks to National Science Bowl Finals in Washington, D.C. Since its creation in 1991, the Science Bowl tournament has become one of the United States’ largest and most prestigious science competitions, aiming to inspire young people to excel in mathematics and science and to consider careers in these fields. Check out more on the competition: https://bit.ly/430xyoU

Join us in congratulating Andrea Watson! Watson has been selected to serve as the next associate laboratory director for the Innovation, Partnering, and Outreach (IPO) directorate after directing NREL’s Strategic Partnerships Office for the past two years. Watson joined NREL in 2009 as a junior researcher, and in the 15 years since, she has established a reputation for fostering collaboration, teamwork, and strategic approaches to expanding NREL’s energy impact. Read more: https://bit.ly/4hHV3HD

We are excited to announce that NREL Senior Research Fellow Gregg Beckham has been elected as a member to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Class of 2025! Election to the NAE is one of the highest professional honors accorded an engineer. NAE members are among the nation’s most knowledgeable engineering experts and have distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations. Congratulations, Gregg, for achieving this prestigious honor. #NAE2025

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, we’re reminded of this powerful truth—that we’re all connected. Our actions, choices, and care for one another ripple through our communities and the world. In our research, we see this interconnectedness every day. Access to affordable resources and solutions to the energy challenges benefits everyone. Dr. King’s vision pushes us to ensure these benefits reach all people—not just today, but every day.

🌊 Simulate success with OpenFAST! OpenFAST is an open-source tool that empowers marine turbine developers to simulate energy generation, predict rotor loads, and analyze floating platform motions. Whether you’re on Mac or Windows, this NREL tutorial video will walk you through the installation process step by step, helping you unlock the full potential of your #MarineEnergy designs. 🔗 Watch the full video and start simulating today ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gunhxRBX

We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of State, and our regional partners to share best practices on sustainable mobility and electric vehicle (EV) deployment for island contexts. This work is essential for building resilient, sustainable economies in the Pacific. Ahead of this week’s in-person workshop, we hosted a virtual primer on EVs and charging infrastructure, focusing on strategies, market trends, and challenges specific to island nations. The full session recording is available here: https://lnkd.in/gpAPGxWa Thanks again to all our partners for the ongoing efforts to advance sustainable mobility strategies across the Pacific and beyond.

Attention, manufacturers of small- and medium-sized wind turbines! Are you developing innovative distributed wind energy technology? Do you need help advancing your technology toward commercialization? We are now accepting proposals under the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), which will provide selected projects funding and technical support to design, optimize, test, and certify your technologies. Reflecting the current needs of the U.S. distributed wind energy market, CIP funding awards for 2025 will prioritize projects that: ✅ Support distributed wind energy technology development and innovation to improve reliability, increase performance, and drive down installed costs ✅ Address the need for inverters built specifically for distributed wind turbines that have achieved listing to national safety and interconnection standards and that can support grid operations ✅ Develop advanced manufacturing processes to reduce hardware costs and meet growing demand ✅ Ensure that distributed energy consumers have wind energy technology options that are certified for performance and quality ✅ Commercialize certified distributed wind technology. Submit your proposal by 2 p.m. MT on March 28, 2025 ➡️ https://bit.ly/3BX0284