National Renewable Energy Laboratory Archives – The Green Optimistic

Toyota Leases Four Hydrogen Cars to NREL

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:16:03 +0000

Automobile manufacturer, Toyota, has recently given the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) four fuel cell hybrid vehicles. The hybrids, advanced FCHV-adv models, are on loan by Toyota through a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. NREL plans to use the cars to advance its hydrogen fueling infrastructure, vehicle performance, and renewable […]

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Silicon Photovoltaic Wafer Screening System Will Save Solar Industry Billions

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 07:54:26 +0000

The industrial material production process is very hard on silicon wafers. In fact, between 5 and 10% of these expensive wafers used to make photovoltaic solar cells are damaged during the process, translating annually into billions of lost dollars by the solar industry. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have created a Silicon […]

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US DOE Releases Web-Based Software to Determine Solutions for a Clean Energy Future

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:09:08 +0000

An energy analysis tool that helps educators and individuals determine future energy use scenarios has been created by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL, the primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. The […]

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Third World Country Inspires Air Conditioning Redesign

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:55:14 +0000

Evaporative cooling was the brainchild of Ron Judkoff, a Peace Corp volunteer working in Senegal in the 1970s. Judkoff is now the director of Buildings and Thermal Systems at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Judkoff noticed the Sengalese used porous clay pots that allowed evaporation while actively cooling the water […]

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NREL’s New Hi-Tech Software to Improve Wind Farm Performance

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:20:06 +0000

It is fascinating to see wind turbines carefully planted in an array on a refreshing landscape and running along with strong winds in a seemingly serene and consistent manner; but behind this perceptively simplicity of wind farms is the complexity of their interactions with one another and the nature as well. Various factors contribute to […]

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SolarWorld Sets New U.S. Record For Residential Solar-Powered Homes

Mike Sandru — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:56:14 +0000

In latter years, more and more homes have been equipped with photovoltaic cells able to produce enough energy to feed satisfy they power needs. According to the researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a solar system generates around 5 kilowatts of power, enough for most conventional homes. The truth is that the most efficient […]

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