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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.

September 29, 2016
EERE Blog
Top 3 Takeaways from the 2016 Revolution...Now Report

The new Revolution…Now report, which highlights the dramatic growth and decreasing costs of five clean energy technologies: wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for both utility-scale plants and distributed systems, electric vehicles (EVs), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), shows that the Energy Department’s investments in clean energy technologies are paying off – and then some.

September 28, 2016
The Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has power-hardware-in-the-loop capability that puts utility-scale hardware into simulated grids to assess the effects of grid integration. Lab-Bridge’s Microgrid Challenge project will use ESIF facilities to test microgrid controller solutions. | <em>Photo courtesy of NREL</em>
8 Ways the Energy Department is Removing Barriers to Make National Lab Inventions a Reality

Deputy Secretary of Energy Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall announced today a new pilot program called Lab-Bridge that will make it easier for Department of Energy National Laboratories to fast-track the great ideas and technologies they generate into the marketplace.

September 28, 2016
6 Charts that Will Make You Optimistic About America’s Clean Energy Future

How wind, solar, LEDs and electric vehicles are leading the way in America's clean energy revolution, visualized in six simple charts.

September 27, 2016
Janine Benner (far left), EERE's new Associate Assistant Secretary, stands atop a wind turbine during a recent visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. | <em>Photo courtesy of NREL</em>
Meet Janine Benner: EERE's New Associate Assistant Secretary Has Energy in Her Blood

For Janine Benner, energy conservation and sustainable transportation runs through her blood. The new Associate Assistant Secretary for the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) sat down recently to discuss her energy-saving parents, her own path to energy efficiency, and her new role with the Energy Department.

September 23, 2016
Engineer studies modification of algae for biofuel production. | Photo courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories
What’s in Your Algae Toolbox?

Across the nation, scientists are on a mission to produce affordable and sustainable biofuels and products from algae, including jet fuel and plastics. Algae scientists funded by the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office have been busy expanding the tools available to support breakthroughs in biology that could lead to major improvements in algae growth and productivity.

September 22, 2016
Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Department Secretary Ernest Moniz discuss energy issues. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.
New Study Reveals Options to Replace Global Warming-Causing Chemicals Used in Air Conditioning

The Energy Department is supporting efforts to phase down the global use of climate-change causing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in cooling and refrigeration. These chemicals can be thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and last for centuries when released into the atmosphere.

September 22, 2016
Video: Better Plants Shines at 2016 World Engineering Congress

The Better Buildings, Better Plants program took center stage at the 2016 World Energy Engineering Congress in Washington, D.C. as it continues to improve efficiency for U.S. manufacturers and public water utilities.

September 21, 2016
EERE Blog
Students Go Back to School, Prepare for Clean Energy Careers

The Energy Department’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) is investing in programs that ensure the future workforce can meet and exceed the needs of the booming clean energy sector. These educational opportunities set students up for success throughout their careers and help the U.S. remain a global leader in clean energy innovation

September 21, 2016
South African National Energy Development Institute's Cool Roof demonstration project at Emmanuel School. Implemented by PEER-Africa which used Milenium Solutions paint. | Photo courtesy of PEER-Africa
Advancing Energy Efficiency and Business Opportunities in South Africa

The Energy Department supports a number of collaborations with African nations that share the goals of the U.S.-Africa Business Forum. One key collaboration, managed by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s International program, is the South Africa Clean Energy Project. The goal of this project is to encourage the adoption of increasingly stringent energy efficient building codes, and to accelerate the deployment of related clean energy products.

September 20, 2016
Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Brian Fricke tests Hillphoenix's Advansor Refrigeration System in ORNL's state-of-the-art Building Technologies Research & Integration Center (BTRIC) user facility; Photo Credit: Oak Ridge National Lab
EERE Success Story—New Advanced Refrigeration Technology Provides Clean Energy, Low Utility Bills for Supermarkets

Traditional supermarket refrigeration systems found in most U.S. grocery stores require a substantial amount of energy to keep fruits and vegetables fresh year round. An average supermarket consumes nearly 2 million kilowatt hours per year, and refrigeration accounts for nearly half of that. They are also prone to significant refrigerant leakage—20 to 25% leakage a year of the two to four thousand pound refrigerant inventory—emitting environmentally harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

September 16, 2016
EERE Blog
Getting the Most out of Solar Panels

Our SunShot Initiative is funding important research into how to get more power out of solar panels by improving their durability, efficiency and performance in real-world conditions.

September 15, 2016
A simulation of pressure applied to felt used to absorb water in a paper drying process is one of the projects that received funding from the Department of Energy. | <em>Photo courtesy of David Trebotich/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</em>
HPC4Mfg: Pairing Bright Minds with Powerful Resources to Address Critical Challenges in Manufacturing

The goal of our High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program is to allow more entrepreneurs and innovators to tap into this technology. We have set out to partner innovative manufacturers from across the country with our world-class supercomputers and the Lab experts who know how to maximize their strength.

September 15, 2016
Video: Volvo SuperTruck Visits Energy Department

Volvo Trucks North America’s SuperTruck showcased a number of advanced technologies at the Energy Department to significantly improve freight efficiency of its long-haul SuperTruck I vehicle.

September 14, 2016
A 250-megawatt solar project on the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians’ Moapa River Reservation in Nevada. This project was one of the first utility-scale solar project on tribal land.
Dropping Pins: SunShot Incubator Software Startups Put Solar on the Map

The software space is a growing market for small startups to thrive in the solar industry. These companies help to address crucial information gaps for data that solar project developers need to find a suitable location and for utilities to run interconnection studies.

September 13, 2016
Solar homes on the Helemano Military Reservation in Hawaii generate electricity that the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) integrates onto the island’s electric grid. | <em> Photo courtesy of HECO </em>
Collaboration Station: Utility and Solar Company Partnerships Further Solar’s Reach

Earlier this year, the solar industry passed a key milestone: 1 million solar installations are connected to the nation’s electricity grid. Now, we’re looking forward to 2 million solar installations—a record that is expected to be reached in 2018. This large influx of solar, which is by nature an intermittent energy source, creates unique challenges for our country’s more than 3,000 electric utility companies.

September 12, 2016
Charlie Gay Joins the SunShot Initiative to Leave a Lasting Impact

The SunShot Initiative welcomes Dr. Charlie Gay, the program’s new director, a solar industry pioneer who has witnessed its rise from a niche technology that powered microwave repeaters on isolated mountaintops to the robust business it is today.

September 9, 2016
One piece of the <em>National Offshore Wind Strategy</em> evaluates the vast potential for offshore wind energy development across U.S. coasts.
Computing America’s Offshore Wind Energy Potential

A new report evaluating the potential for offshore wind energy development across U.S. coasts found that even if only 1% of the technical resource potential is recovered, nearly 6.5 million homes could be powered by offshore wind energy.

September 9, 2016
Offshore Wind Arrives in America

The United States got its first-ever offshore wind farm -- and that’s just the beginning. Announcing a new national strategy to tap into offshore wind's huge potential to power America with clean energy.

September 9, 2016
The Energy Department's marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) portfolio—commonly known as wave and tidal energy—is one of the more up-and-coming renewable energy sources being explored on an international scale.
Energy Department Leads International Efforts to Unlock Ocean Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy’s marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) portfolio—commonly known as wave and tidal energy—is one of the more up-and-coming renewable energy sources being explored on an international scale. The United States is now seen by many as a global leader in developing MHK technology,

September 8, 2016
Illustration by Sarah Harman, Energy Department
How to be a Clean Energy Baller: Drive an Electric Car

There’s a new revolution going on that’s redefining what coolness is. No longer is clean energy just for those who wear socks and sandals (which is very comfortable, by the way). It’s a growing lifestyle that even hipsters can’t hate on. From electric cars to algae surfboards, there’s a ton of low-carbon swag out there to elevate your status in becoming a clean energy baller.

September 8, 2016
Video: Energy Department's Wave Energy Prize Testing Underway

The Energy Department's Wave Energy Prize teams are putting their devices in the water at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in Bethesda, Maryland. Nine teams are assembling their devices onsite before testing them in the tank.

September 7, 2016
UNC Pembroke students look on as Ashley Fiala demonstrates how to charge a PEV. | Photo courtesy of Willis Glassgow, Campus Photographer, UNC Pembroke
National Drive Electric Week: Celebrating the Growth of Electric Vehicles

As we bid farewell to summer and transition to fall, there are many things to look forward to, such as kids in school, cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, and National Drive Electric Week. This year’s celebration spans eight days from Sept. 10-18, with nearly 200 events across the country to familiarize people with the power, convenience, and widespread availability of electric vehicles.

September 1, 2016
Video: 2017 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Dates Announced

Dates for the 2017 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon are now set. From October 5 -15, 14 college teams will design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy efficient, and boast maximum curb appeal. For the first time, the competition will take place in Denver, Colorado.

August 31, 2016
A pair of new reports released by the Energy Department in August show strong growth for wind power in the United States.
Top 7 Clean Energy News Stories from August 2016

August was a busy month for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Catch up on the biggest clean energy news stories of the past month.

August 30, 2016
The Algae Technology Education Consortium (ATEC) is developing opportunities for education and training for next-generation jobs in the algal industry. | <em>Photo courtesy of ATEC</em>
Algae Education Helping Grow Jobs of the Future

Algae are coming out of the pond and into the classroom, thanks to the significant efforts of the Algae Technology Education Consortium (ATEC) this past year. The Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is funding ATEC’s project to strengthen workforce capabilities in the algal biofuels industry.