Enlarge image This artist’s rendering shows how the Research Support Facility will look once the ARRA funded expansion project is complete at the end of 2011. Courtesy of RNL Old memo from the boss: Your goal for 2010 — build one of the most energy efficient office buildings in the world on the campus of […]
Colorado School Headed to Science Super Bowl
Enlarge image The Fairview High School Science Bowl team (left to right) Nicolas Le Dru, Karun Kumar Rao, Charles Xu, Tammy Hearty (coach), Chris Guthrie and William Conway hold up their trophy and celebrate after winning the 2011 Regional DOE Science Bowl held at Dakota Ridge High School. Credit: Dennis Schroeder Enlarge image Sara Volz, […]
Improved Labs Energize Biomass Research
Enlarge image NREL scientist Justin Sluiter prepares biomass material for analysis in NREL’s Biomass Compositional Analysis Lab. Credit: Dennis Schroeder When you’ve lived in the same “home” for more than 20 years, a time comes when you need to upgrade your furnishings to keep current and spruce things up a bit. That is exactly what […]
NREL Bridging the Gap for Entrepreneurs and VCs
Enlarge image Presenting entrepreneurs at NREL’s Industry Growth Forum have just 10 minutes to impress skeptical judges with sound business plans that will attract investors to their clean energy innovations. Credit: Pat Corkery PowerPoint? Check. Business plan? Check. Elevator speech? Check. Breath mints, aspirin and antacids? Triple check. Preparations are nearly complete for the 23rd […]
Solar System Tops Off Efficient NREL Building
Enlarge image More than 1,800 solar panels are being installed on the roof of the RSF to help the building generate as much electricity as it uses. Credit: Dennis Schroeder When a new office building is constructed on the campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it only makes sense that […]
NREL Scholarship Gives Columbine Grads a Boost
Enlarge image Columbine Spirit Scholarship alum Meghan McKee is currently a facility engineer for El Paso Exploration & Production. She splits her time between the company’s Denver office and solving problems for the company’s natural gas field in Raton, NM. Credit: Dennis Schroeder Columbine. It’s not often a single word can evoke an enormous spectrum […]
NREL Solar Technology Will Warm Air at ‘Home’
Enlarge image NREL’s Craig Christensen and Chuck Kutscher stand next to a wall at the RSF that uses their award-winning transpired air collector technology. Credit: Dennis Schroeder Sometimes the way back home isn’t straightforward. But once you find your way, you know you’ll be welcomed with open arms. Transpired solar air collector technology (PDF 309 […]
Renewable Energy at Work in War Zones
Military Bases in Afghanistan Have Great Solar Potential NREL scientists and engineers haven’t hesitated to fly to war zones when military brass call on them to assess the potential for renewable energy at Marine, Army and Air Force bases. Full story. Ever since Don Quixote tilted at wind mills, warfare and renewable energy have had […]
High-Speed Pipeline Revs Up Biomass Analysis
Enlarge image Rob Sykes, a member of NREL’s Chemical and Catalyst Science Group, puts a sample of biomass on a carousel for rapid analysis in the new high-throughput pipeline. Credit: Pat Corkery A new pipeline at the National Renewable Energy Lab is analyzing 1,000 samples of biomass at a time, finding which one, combined with […]
Tool That Tracks Solar Installations is Open to All
Enlarge image Open PV’s Map Maker lets the user sort through a variety of graphs from the national to the zip code level. The photovoltaic (PV) market now has an eye-popping, interactive bevy of maps and charts that can let anyone know where PV panels are being installed, how big they are, how much they […]