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The EERE Blog includes updates to current Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) projects, interviews with energy experts, and success stories about EERE’s technology offices and national laboratories. Subscribe to the blog email list.

October 21, 2016
Graphic by Sarah Harman | Energy Department
How Much Power is 1 Gigawatt?

It’s a date most movie buffs know by heart: October 21, 2015 – the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the future in Stephen Spielberg’s 1989 classic “Back to the Future: Part II.”

Although you may not have remembered the date, you’ve probably heard of Doc’s DeLorean, which takes 1.21 gigawatts (GW) of power to travel through time. Admittedly, our national labs haven’t quite figured out time travel just yet, but they do analyze power.

October 20, 2016
Electric Vehicle Charging: Coming to a Federal Workplace Near You

Nearly 75% of Americans commute to work alone. That makes for a lot of cars that use a lot of gasoline that produce a lot of greenhouse gasses. The Energy Department's Workplace Charging Challenge is making it easier for commuters to use plug-in electric vehicles to get to work.

October 19, 2016
Our Cities-LEAP project, which helps deliver standardized energy data and analysis, recently launched two new resources to help cities strategically map their energy vision for the future.
New Resources Help U.S. Cities to Accelerate the Clean Energy Revolution

Tackling climate change requires the cooperation of leaders and organizations at every level, including local communities. Our Cities-LEAP project, which helps deliver standardized energy data and analysis, recently launched two new resources to help cities strategically map their energy vision for the future.

October 19, 2016
Bioenergy: Renewable, Sustainable, Attainable

Happy Bioenergy Day! Today, bioenergy organizations across North America are celebrating the benefits of bioenergy by holding events and open houses in their local communities. Here at the Energy Department we’re celebrating as well, with extra coverage of bioenergy successes and news all month.

October 19, 2016
Aerial view of Enel Green Power North America’s Stillwater plant in Fallon, Nevada, the first triple hybrid renewable energy plant. | All photos courtesy of Enel Green Power North America, Inc.
This Hybrid Power Plant Combines 3 Clean Energy Sources in One

Engineers at Idaho National Lab and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory helped build the world’s first triple hybrid renewable energy plant. It combines geothermal power, solar panels and concentrating solar power into one reliable energy source.

October 14, 2016
Renewing Forests in Colorado: Opportunities for Bioenergy

Decomposition of dead trees occurs naturally and is healthy for a forest ecosystem. However, too many dead trees makes the region prone to forest fires that are costly and dangerous to contain. Recent advances in biofuel technologies are bringing us closer to turning those dead trees into biofuels.

October 13, 2016
EERE Blog
Better Buildings Challenge Partners Net Energy Savings With Efficiency Improvements

What do Frosty's and Cheerios have in common? Both brands are tied to the Energy Department's Better Buildings Challenge. But Wendy’s and General Mills are not alone. Find out what other conglomerates are also striving to achieve a 20% energy savings over 10 years.

October 13, 2016
Advancing the Frontiers of Clean Energy Innovation

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

October 13, 2016
Students from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, participate in a fuel cell demonstration outside the Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C. | <em>Photo by Jeremy Kahn</em>
New 'Energy Talks' Series Introduces Students to Clean Energy Technologies

The first in a series of "Energy Talks" kicked off at the Energy Department on Oct. 11 with 100 ninth-graders from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, listening to talks on everything from fuel cell technologies to building efficiency to future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

October 12, 2016
On the Verge of a Hydrogen Tipping Point?

Across the country this past week, scientists and engineers have been celebrating National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day. Aptly chosen to represent the atomic weight of hydrogen (1.008), National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day was celebrated for the first time on October 8, 2015 and this year we’ve keeping the momentum going.

October 11, 2016
This technology transfer public-private partnership project at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory demonstrates friction stir welding, a process that overcomes the challenges of traditional laser welding, enabling manufacturers to use more lightweight materials in more vehicle components, thus improving fuel efficiency. | <em>Photo courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory</em>
At SXSW Eco: Small Businesses Play Key Role in Developing Clean Energy

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.

October 7, 2016
EERE Blog
Revolution...Now Rewind: Illustrating the Wind Energy Story

As detailed in the recently released 2016 Revolution…Now report, the U.S. wind energy industry has forged a trajectory of sustained growth thanks to rapidly decreasing costs and increasing market demand. Let’s take a deeper dive to better understand where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed in the near future.

October 7, 2016
Making Our Solar Future with American Manufacturing

Every second that ticks by, six solar cells come off U.S. manufacturing lines that contain crystalline silicon. In 10 years, the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative expects nearly three-times that amount to be racing across the lines, helping to make America a leader in high-tech solar manufacturing.

October 7, 2016
With SunShot funding, 1366 Technologies developed these three-dimensional silicon wafers that require fewer raw materials, helping to reduce the cost of solar panels.
EERE Success Story – Silicon Solar Wafers Enter a New Dimension

The vast majority of solar modules are currently made with silicon, as the material is widely available, relatively low-cost, and able to reach high efficiencies. Today, nearly all silicon wafers for solar modules are manufactured by first transforming the raw material into silicon blocks, which are then sawed into thin wafers that are turned into solar cells and integrated into modules. But one SunShot Initiative awardee has developed a method that is changing the game.

October 6, 2016
These fuel cell units above are an example of the technology Byron McCormick helped develop during his 50-year career at the Energy Department. | Photo courtesy of Plug Power
3 Questions with a ‘Founding Father’ of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Byron McCormick

In honor of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day on October 8, we sit down with Byron McCormick, one of the “founding fathers” of hydrogen and fuel cells, to talk about his experiences during his more than 50-year career. Byron began his career in 1974 at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he first explored the possibility of using fuel cells in vehicles.

October 6, 2016
EERE Blog
U.S. Manufacturing Leading the Way to a Global Clean Energy Economy

The Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI) was established in 2013 to apply the Energy Department’s resources and capabilities to increase U.S. competitiveness in the production of clean energy technologies and increase U.S. manufacturing energy productivity across the board. CEMI helped achieve those goals and then some, as demonstrated in the recently published CEMI Accomplishments report.

October 5, 2016
Innovations are moving the bioenergy industry forward. Photos courtesy of Virgin Atlantic (left), Sapphire Energy, Inc. (center), and DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (right). Watch the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9HONJ0g9Dc" target="_blank">Bioenergy Innovation</a> to hear bioenergy researchers explain what “bioenergy innovation” means to them.
3 Breakthroughs Show How Bioenergy Innovations are Energizing the Energy Landscape

Learn about three bioenergy innovations that are helping to provide Americans with sustainable, renewable energy and alternatives to fossil fuels and chemicals.

October 5, 2016
EERE Blog
Revolution…Now Rewind: Revving up the Electric Vehicle Market

The plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market hit a major milestone in September when the 500,000th PEV was sold in America. As the recently released Revolution..Now report details, decreased costs of batteries for PEVs is one reason for the uptick in sales, but there are several other factors that have made these vehicles an attractive transportation option.

October 5, 2016
This artist rendering shows Peña Station Next in Denver, where Solar Decathlon 2017 will take place exactly one year from today. | Image courtesy of City and County of Denver.
Solar-Powered Houses Take Starring Role in Denver’s Community of Tomorrow

Solar Decathlon 2017 houses built by collegiate teams to join the landscape of a burgeoning “smart city” in Denver.

October 4, 2016
National Weatherization Network Celebrates 40 Years of Service

More than seven million Americans have been helped by the Energy Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program over the last four decades and many top accomplishments were recently recognized by congressional leaders at a Washington D.C. event showcasing how this program continues to reduce energy costs for low-income households.

October 4, 2016
Construction workers build the frame for a 1-megawatt solar microgrid project at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. | <em>Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/Carlos J. Lazo</em>
Revolution...Now Rewind: Modernizing the Grid to Accelerate a Solar-Powered Future

As the recently released Revolution..Now report details, the declining cost of solar power has enabled a massive increase in the amount of solar capacity installed in America. The next step is ensuring the nation's electric grid is ready for a solar-powered future.

October 3, 2016
National Lab Scientists Praise Entrepreneurial 'Boot Camp'

Some of the nation’s top researchers recently completed a "boot camp" as part of the Energy Department’s Lab-Corps program to better understand the commercialization process.

October 3, 2016
The cost of LED A-type light bulbs has decreased by 94% since 2008, according to the 2016 <em>Revolution...Now</em> report.
Revolution...Now Rewind: 6 Questions with a Lighting Expert

Lighting Program Manager for EERE’s Building Technology Office, Jim Brodrick, sat down to discuss the 2016 Revolution…Now report that was released last week.

September 30, 2016
The Department of Energy has tapped Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop Build4Scale, a training program for clean technology entrepreneurs focused on manufacturing fundamentals.
Build4Scale: Training Cleantech Entrepreneurs for Manufacturing Success

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.

September 29, 2016
The Energy Resource Center installed a 2-kilowatt solar PV system at a WAP-eligible home in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Becomes First State to Install Solar as Part of Weatherization Assistance Program

Due to recent declines in the price of solar energy, the Energy Department's Weatherization Assistance Program is now incorporating solar into their services with a home in Colorado the first to participate.