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When the wind turbine industry needs to test out new designs, it turns to the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

​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.

Advanced inverters are a critical enabler of high solar photovoltaic (PV) penetrations because of their smart functionalities and ability to maintain a balanced grid. Deploying advanced inverters with smart grid capabilities in the field, however, is easier said than done. Thanks to the work of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the solar industry has a solid foundation for both using and improving inverter technology.

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.

Nuclear and renewable technologies are crucial parts of the United States’ energy system, providing clean, secure, abundant power. Nuclear energy is the largest zero carbon electricity source on the grid today, while renewable energy is the fastest growing form of any electricity source over the last two years. But, like chocolate and peanut butter, the question is — can these two great technologies be even better together? To help answer this question, the Department of Energy is examining the benefits and potential synergies of energy systems that feature both nuclear and renewable technologies.

As light-emitting diode (LED) performance continues to improve and prices continue to drop, adoption continues to increase. According to the latest Department of Energy (DOE) Revolution…Now report, total installation of LED A-type bulbs (the most common type) exceeded 200 million last year, growing 160% over 2014, and now accounting for 6% of all currently installed A-type lamps. That growth has been enabled by a 94% reduction in cost since 2008.

The toolkit integrates new and existing technical tools that give small and medium commercial buildings the ability to analyze and evaluate measures for HVAC equipment, interior equipment, lighting and/or whole building measures.

Researchers from the United States and Brazil have developed a new device that can reduce energy losses in buildings by measuring and assessing the energy performance of windows without removing them from their site.

Funding support from the Energy Department's State Energy Program is being used by some states to retrofit water treatment facilities and wastewater systems to use less energy because these facilities can be responsible for as much as 35% of municipal energy use.

Michael Berube, the new director of the Energy Department’s Vehicle Technologies Office, sat down recently to discuss his entry into vehicles, where we’re headed, and a love of off-roading.

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed technology that can convert human waste into sustainable biofuel.

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition now spans five continents — North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia — bringing together collegiate teams from around the world to address some of the most pressing global energy issues of our time.

In 2014, the Energy Department’s Geothermal Technologies Office introduced its mineral recovery research and development program to identify methods of recovering lithium and rare earth elements found in geothermal fluids. This year the effort expanded to include evaluation of comparable methods in other industries and the potential to translate successful methodologies for use in geothermal mineral recovery.

Building energy infrastructure that keeps wildlife safe is a key concern at the U.S. Department of Energy, which is why we have funded six teams to improve technologies that will protect eagles sharing airspace with wind turbines.

With Energy Department support, French Development Enterprises, LLC, GEI Consultants, and Oldcastle Precast announced the successful construction of the first prototype of a “French Dam.”The prototype technology uses modular design—a term for structures that use multiple standardized components that integrate easily— to significantly cut construction time and cost.

Overall utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) generated enough electricity last year to power more than 2 million homes. It’s also creating jobs – a lot of them. In 2015, the solar workforce grew at a rate 12 times faster than the overall economy and boasts a workforce of more than 200,000 domestic jobs.

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.

Right now, biofuels and consumer products made from biomass are not commercially widespread. However, the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is funding research and development to help lower their costs so that private industry can produce and sell them on the commercial market.

The Thanksgiving holiday is wonderful for getting together with friends and family but not very good for energy conservation because it contributes to an annual increase in energy use due to lights staying on longer, and appliances operating more frequently. Here are some energy saving tips to lower the unwelcome tradition of higher energy bills following Thanksgiving.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies power cars, buildings and more. But how much do you know about them? Test your knowledge with this quiz!

For chemical manufacturers, waste usually equates to a loss – loss of time, money, opportunity, or all of the above. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a byproduct of many manufacturing processes, and also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. If manufacturers can find a way to convert waste CO2 into different valuable chemicals, they can save money and reduce harmful emissions into the environment.