News Releases
NREL's Public Relations Office works with media outlets on news stories about the laboratory and renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. You can subscribe to receive new NREL releases by email or via our RSS feed. 
2008 News Releases
August 21, 2008
Handbook Outlines Proper Handling, Storage and Distribution of E85
NREL recently updated the "Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85," a comprehensive booklet that details the proper and safe use of E85, a domestically produced alternative fuel composed of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
August 13, 2008
NREL Solar Cell Sets World Efficiency Record at 40.8 Percent
Scientists at NREL have set a world record in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device that converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity. This is the highest confirmed efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date.
July 25, 2008
Fleet of Advanced Vehicles to be Tested, Demonstrated at NREL
NREL will be home to a demonstration fleet of advanced vehicles that will serve as a test bed for research and development. In addition, the demonstration fleet will help visitors to NREL learn about advanced vehicle technologies that are available or in development.
July 18, 2008
NREL report shows E85 gives gas stations a competitive edge
A study released by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) can help gas station owners and Clean Cities stakeholders determine whether adding E85 to their product mix can increase profitability.
July 17, 2008
NREL Solar Research Gains Two R&D 100 Awards
An ultra-light, highly efficient solar cell and use of ink-jet printing to manufacture thin-film photovoltaics – both developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory – have been named among this year’s most significant innovations by Research and Development Magazine.
July 16, 2008
Dow and NREL Partner to Convert Biomass to Ethanol and Other Chemical Building Blocks
The Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have agreed to jointly develop and evaluate a process that will convert biomass to ethanol and other chemical building blocks. The collaborative effort demonstrates both Dow and NREL’s commitment to deliver sustainable solutions to the nation’s current energy challenges by reducing dependence on foreign oil.
June 19, 2008
NREL Joins with A123Systems to Improve Advanced-Vehicle Batteries
NREL and A123Systems have teamed up to support the battery-maker’s effort to develop safe, less expensive, more powerful, and longer lasting batteries for hybrid-electric vehicles.
June 3, 2008
New Wind Power Partnerships to Benefit Industry and Nation
NREL has announced several projects that will enhance the nation’s ability to realize the full potential of wind power across the United States, including a new wind turbine blade test facility to be constructed in Texas; a partnership between NREL, DOE, and a state consortium led by University of Houston; a just-signed agreement with Siemens Power Generation to locate and test a commercial-scale wind turbine at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center; and, a new Siemens research and development facility in Boulder, Colo., which will work closely with NREL on advanced wind power technologies.
May 15, 2008
NREL Industry Partners Move Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Forward
Collaborative scientific research between the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and DuPont will be put to use to develop and commercialize technology to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-food sources.
May 10, 2008
Students Recognized for Creativity and Skill in Energy Education Event
Eighty-eight teams from 29 Colorado schools participated in today’s Junior Solar Sprint and Hydrogen Fuel Cell car competitions hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
May 1, 2008
NREL Releases Updated Typical Meteorological Year Data Set
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today released an updated typical meteorological year (TMY) data set derived from the 1991-2005 National Solar Radiation Data Base update. The TMY3 data and user’s manual are available at http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/tmy3.
April 22, 2008
NREL Highlights Leading Utility Green Power Programs
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its annual ranking of leading utility green power programs.
April 21, 2008
Center to Research New Ways to Convert Sunshine to Power and Fuels
The newest research center of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory aims to find ways to directly convert the sun's energy to low-cost electricity and fuels. The Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP), announced today by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar and the Collaboratory at the Capitol, will be dedicated to basic and applied research at the Collaboratory's four member institutions.
April 16, 2008
NREL Picks 19 Community Leaders for Leadership Program
NREL has selected 19 Colorado community leaders to participate in its 2008 Executive Energy Leadership program, the state’s only leadership program focused on educating business and government leaders about clean energy solutions that can boost the local economy.
April 14, 2008
DOE Research Facility Receives Lab of the Year Award
One of the nation’s most energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings recently was recognized as one of the best laboratory facilities built in the U.S. in 2007. In the 42nd Laboratory of the Year competition, the Science and Technology Facility at NREL was one of only two laboratories recognized as trendsetters in laboratory design.
April 10, 2008
Senior Research Fellow Wins Major International Science Award
Senior Research Fellow Arthur J. Nozik has won the 2008 Eni Award, a prestigious international honor that has several Nobel Prize winners among its recipients.
April 1, 2008
NREL Enters Wind Energy Research Partnership in Hawaii
NREL has signed a memorandum of understanding with UPC Wind to establish a Remote Research Affiliate Partner Site at UPC Wind’s Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui.
March 31, 2008
NREL, ConocoPhillips, Iowa State to Cooperate on Biofuels Research
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has reached a Memorandum of Understanding with ConocoPhillips and Iowa State University to identify promising cellulosic biomass conversion technologies over the near, mid- and long-term. The collaboration will bring three independently established programs together to help identify the most efficient and cost-effective methods for making liquid transportation fuels from plants.
March 24, 2008
Record Makes Thin-Film Solar Cell Competitive with Silicon Efficiency
Researchers have moved closer to creating a thin-film solar cell that can compete with the efficiency of the more common silicon-based solar cell. The copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell recently reached 19.9 percent efficiency, setting a new world record for this type of cell.
February 23, 2008
Pueblo Centennial High School Wins Colorado High School Science Bowl
Students from Pueblo Centennial High School won the Colorado High School Science Bowl today, taking the top spot for the second year in a row.
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