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​In 1975, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decided to harness the power of the sun, launching the Solar Energy Research Institute, which later became the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Over the subsequent 40 years, DOE, its Solar Energy Technologies Office, and the national laboratories have engaged with innovators, businesses, and entrepreneurs to channel one of our planet’s greatest resources into sustainable, clean, and cost-effective energy.

Cummins approached researchers at three of the national laboratories—Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)—to discuss the possibility of a partnership. The labs possessed unique expertise in laser diagnostics and computer modeling and housed unique state-of-the-art facilities, including specialized measurement equipment and extremely fast supercomputers

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office addresses a number of pressing energy needs, from improving technology performance to advancing wind turbines’ design and size to facilitating grid integration of renewable energy. Since wind energy research began in the United States in the 1970s, DOE has brought together industry, academia, and key research institutions to help overcome wind energy deployment challenges related to cost, design, materials, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.

Many residential and commercial buildings leak air like sieves, wasting up to 40% of their heating and cooling energy. The primary reason for this energy loss is gaps and holes that exist in buildings’ air ducts. Getting an airtight seal on every connection can be difficult; even with skillful installation and generous applications of mastic (the putty used to seal joints), leakage still occurs. Therefore, most people resign themselves to losing money and enduring uneven temperatures. Mark Modera, an expert in energy performance at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), however, was convinced there had to be a better way.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratories give the United States an undeniable strategic advantage in the global marketplace. The national labs use the world’s most advanced technology and equipment, staffed by many of the best and brightest scientific minds, to perform groundbreaking scientific research. Each year, they develop more than 1,800 new inventions and receive more than 400 patents.

Now — more than ever — the United States needs to tap into the extensive capabilities of its national labs to ensure American competitiveness in the global marketplace. The DOE Lab-Corps program is doing exactly that.

Most island communities do not have economies of scale or local fossil fuel resources, two key factors contributing to significant increases in energy costs relative to mainland peers. A case in point is two islands located off the coast of Maine—Isle au Haut and Monhegan, both of which are currently weighing their energy futures.

Big box retailers are leading in commercial solar installations in the United States, but solar’s energy-saving benefits aren’t limited to Fortune 500 companies. Hospitals, small businesses, shopping malls, multi-family and other commercial and industrial properties have a new tool to help them go solar: the PACE Lease®.

De-Meter Power first developed the new financial tool through the SunShot Initiative Technology to Market program, which helps entrepreneurs bring innovative, early-stage technologies to the market.

As Hawaii charges toward its goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2045, the Energy Department's Energy Transition Initiative has been working with technical experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to deliver training to Hawaii Public Utilities Commission staff to help them prepare for the coming changes.

Since the DOE Lab-Corps program launched in fall 2015, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has put through more researchers than any other national lab. We sat down with INL Director Mark Peters to find out why he thinks researchers at INL are so attracted to the innovative Lab-Corps curriculum.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has worked with Whooshh Innovations on an inventive project demonstrating a fish-friendly transport system. This Energy Department-funded technology uses lengths of flexible tube and slight differences in pressure to gently propel salmon and other fish up and around obstacles such as hydroelectric dams in waterways.

America must continue to push the boundaries of clean energy innovation by doubling down on Federally-funded research and accelerating new technologies.

Hundreds of business leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs and designers gathered at the South by Southwest Eco (SXSW Eco) in Texas. The conference has quickly become a launch pad for the latest cleantech innovations set to positively impact society and the environment, making it a great venue to celebrate sustainability solutions and emphasize the Energy Department’s new $12 million investment into its Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot program.

Build4Scale will help entrepreneurs cost effectively build their clean energy products by providing training on manufacturing fundamentals like material selection, design for assembly, and working with production partners. Ultimately, training cleantech entrepreneurs on the fundamentals of manufacturing will help bring promising energy solutions to market.

We need an energy revolution—a revolution that will mitigate the impact of climate change while providing affordable and reliable energy to everyone, and transition the United States and the world to a clean energy future.

Some of the nation’s top researchers recently graduated from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Lab-Corps program designed to help scientists better understand the commercialization process.

Student design competition, which challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive, will take place October 5 – 15, 2017, in Denver.

The second round of the Small Business Vouchers program has wrapped up with 43 clean energy small businesses from across the United States being selected to connect with the top-notch scientists, engineers, and world-class facilities at the Energy Department national laboratories.

Today, the Energy Department announced 43 small businesses will participate in the second round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. With vouchers in hand, these businesses can better leverage the world-class capabilities of the department's national laboratories and bring their next-generation clean energy technologies to the marketplace faster.

Lab-Corps, an entrepreneurial boot-camp, helps scientists transition their research to the market.

Energy Department competition supports student entrepreneurs and helps spur development of new clean energy technologies.

How the Department of Energy is investing in the future of clean energy innovation at our National Labs and around the world.

Today, the Energy Department announced $23 million in funding for 23 new projects led by small businesses to further develop clean energy technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation.

The Cleantech University Prize Collegiate Competition has traveled coast-to-coast over the past four months to find America’s next clean energy entrepreneurs. Meet the teams that will compete for $100,000 in prizes at the National Competition this week in Denver.

The Energy Department’s Cleantech University Prize recently wrapped up its regional collegiate competitions. The California Institute of Technology and the University of Central Florida (UCF) each hosted student-led startup teams as part of the entrepreneurial clean energy contest.