News Release Archives - 1997
Local Middle School Receives School-to-Career Grant-(12/24/97)
Free Consumer Workshops On Solar & Wind Power For Farm & Ranch At National Western Stock Show-(12/9/97)
NREL Funds Research into Low-Cost Solar Electricity-(12/8/97)
NREL Provides PV Holiday Lights for Christmas Tree-(12/2/97)
Energy Saving Buildings Win National and Local Honors-(11/21/97)
Alternative Fuel Vehicles: What Do the Drivers Say?-(11/19/97)
Clean Energy Technologies Ready for Climate Change Challenge-(10/23/97)
The Best and Brightest in Solar Homes Open to the Public-(10/1/97)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Host Demonstration of Ford's Electric Ranger Pickup Truck-(9/26/97)
NREL Technologies Win National Awards-(9/17/97)
Alternative Fuel Vehicles: How Do They Really Measure Up?-(9/8/97)
NREL and Solarex Partner to Expand Development of Solar Technology-(8/12/97)
Top Scientists, Industry and Government Leaders to Gather for Major Biomass Conference-(8/6/97)
Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Winner of the "FutureCar Challenge-(7/15/97)
National Science Bowl Second Place Winners Explore Colorado-(7/15/97)
Renewable Energy Powers Renewable Energy Lab, Employees-(7/9/97)
Twenty Years of Clean Energy-(7/3/97)
NREL Announces Management Changes-(6/27/97)
Sunrayce 97 Finish Sets Records-(6/27/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 8 - St. Francis, Kan. to Limon, Color.-(6/26/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 7 - Smith Center to St. Francis-(6/25/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 6 - Manhattan to Smith Center-(6/24/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 5 - Lee's Summit to Manhattan-(6/23/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 4 - Fulton to Lee's Summit-(6/22/97)
Sunrayce 97 Continues Day 2 - Terre Haute to Godfrey-(6/20/97)
Start Your Energy Conversion Devices-(6/19/97)
Sunrayce 97 Update-(6/17/97)
NREL/PG&E Condensation System Increases Geothermal Power Plant Efficiency-(6/17/97)
Students from Longmont's Westview Triumph in Solar Car Race-(5/17/97)
National Science Bowl Competitors Win Trip to Colorado-(5/5/97)
Centauri High School Teacher Honored as Colorado Outstanding Biology Teacher-(5/2/97)
NREL Helps Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Build Earth-Smart House-(4/14/97)
Ohio-Based NREL Subcontractor Wins Major Small Business Award-(4/10/97)
NREL Helps Industry Partner Commercialize Promising Technology For Forest Products Industry-(4/3/97)
AstroPower-DOE Collaboration Sets Solar Cell Record-(4/2/97)
Richard Truly Named Director of National Renewable Energy Laboratory-(3/25/97)
Desiccant Cooling Poised for Entry into Mainstream Markets-(3/24/97)
Director of National Science Foundation to Visit Colorado-(2/28/97)
Midwest Research Institute to Initiate New Energy Resource Alliance-(2/28/97)
Conference Offers Girls Opportunity to Expand Career Horizons-(2/11/97)
Students from Aurora Triumph in Competition of the Mind-(2/8/97)
Colorado Students Contend in Competition of the Mind-(1/27/97)
Publication Sites Productive Uses of Combustion Ash-(1/23/97)
NREL's Buildings Research Honored by Architecture Magazine-(1/15/97)
NREL News Briefs
March 1997
NREL Helps Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Build "Earth-Smart" House
The NREL Exemplary Buildings team is working with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver on designing a low energy passive solar "Earth-Smart" house in downtown Denver. The house will integrate low energy building strategies and techniques into low-income housing. Its energy efficient features include low-emissivity south facing windows, engineered overhangs which shade the house during the summer but allow heat to enter in winter, white roof shingles to decrease heat absorption, finger jointed studs, a high efficiency furnace system, compact fluorescent lights, a recycled plastic deck, a setback thermostat and a solar hot water system.
The dedication ceremony will be held on Earth Day, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. and an open house will take place April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to showcase the house's energy efficient and environmental features. Individuals interested in energy smart home design are encouraged to attend the open house. The house is located at 2555 Franklin St. across from Manual High School in northeast Denver. Other organizations involved in the project include CH2M HILL, The Home Depot, Public Service Co. of Colo., Energy Rated Homes of Colo., Dynamic Energy, Eco-Products of Boulder and the Rocky Mountain Institute of Snowmass, Colo.
Senator Wayne Allard to Visit NREL
Senator Wayne Allard is expected to visit NREL on April 3 to get acquainted with the laboratory's staff and research programs. Allard will tour several labs devoted to biofuels and photovoltaics (solar electricity) research and also will meet with staff to answer questions.
NREL to Host Conference on Future Generation Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies
NREL's first Conference on Future Generation PV Technologies will be held March 24 - 26, 1997, in Denver, Colo., at the Executive Tower Inn. The conference will include in-depth technical discussions and assessment of recent achievements in PV technologies not yet in production that have the potential to achieve high efficiency (amount of sunlight converted into electricity) and low cost. A solar energy powered flywheel, an advanced technology for storing energy being looked at as a possible replacement for lead acid batteries, will be on display March 24 and 25.
NREL Receives Technology Transfer Awards
NREL received two 1997 technology transfer awards from the Colorado Chapter of the Technology Transfer Society. The first award in the category of Federal Laboratory to Business went to NREL's Dave Benson, Tom Potter, Steve Burch, Matt Keyser, Ed Tracy, Terry Penney, Richard Voss, Andreas Vlahinos and Bob Rehn for the transfer of a variable conductance vacuum insulated catalytic converter to eliminate cold start emissions. Benteler Industries of Grand Rapids, Mich., is commercializing the new catalytic converter which reduces total automotive pollution by more than 80 percent. The second award in the category of Technology Transfer Facilitator went to Dana Moran for promoting the transfer of NREL technologies to private business and for championing the concept of technology transfer and the infrastructure for supporting it. The awards were presented at the Fifth Annual Technology Transfer Awards Dinner on Feb. 25 at the Denver Museum of Natural History.