Awards recognize innovative research with commercial potential U.S. Department of Energy researchers have won 31 of the 100 awards given out this year by R&D Magazine for the most outstanding technology developments with promising commercial potential. The R&D 100 awards, sometimes called the “Oscars of Innovation,” are given annually in recognition of exceptional new… Keep reading →
DOI has scheduled a lease sale for approximately 80,000 acres in the Maryland Wind Energy Area, estimated to support up to 1,450 MW of commercial wind generation. On July 3, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) announced that approximately 80,000 acres offshore Maryland will be offered for commercial wind energy development in an August 19… Keep reading →
Nobody was surprised to hear political foes of President Obama and leaders from several coal-dependent states blast EPA’s proposal to limit carbon pollution from America’s power plants. The Clean Power Plan, released June 2, represents a big change in the way America will generate and use energy in the coming decades. We understand: Big changes are… Keep reading →
To see that the clean energy economy is creating jobs in communities across the United States, look no further than the Energy Department’s recent Revolution Now report — which shows rapidly falling prices and rising deployment of clean and renewable technologies. Thanks to federal and private sector investments, clean energy technologies like wind power, solar, LED lighting and… Keep reading →
Tesla and Edison are one of energy history’s great duos. Both have granted their names and legacies to companies and entire fields of study, employment and business. But unlike some more distant figures of the past, people are still arguing about which was more important and which more inventive. At a time when innovation is… Keep reading →
With fall in full swing, iconic images associated with the changing seasons are coming into view — leaves changing colors, pumpkin patches and apple picking. Windows allow us a view of these wonderful seasonal changes, but they also pose a real challenge for commercial and home energy performance — accounting for up to 50 percent… Keep reading →
The definition has changed considerably over the years. The phrase “utility-scale solar” is heard so frequently in discussions about renewable energy that it comes as a bit of a shock when one realizes that there is no commonly accepted definition as to what size constitutes “utility-scale.” If you don’t believe it, a quick Google search… Keep reading →
The steady upward march of oil prices over time is putting increasing pressure on remote communities in Alaska that rely on diesel-fueled generators for much of their power supply, but displacing diesel with other electricity sources, such as renewables, is often an even higher-cost option. Alaska’s rural communities pay some of the highest prices for… Keep reading →
National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Eric Kozubal co-invented an air conditioning system that’s energy efficient while incredibly effective at both cooling a building and managing its humidity levels – the first time both of these processes have been fit into a single machine. Kozubal recently talked to us about his invisible technology, its road to commercialization, and the effects it will have on industry. Question: This is a perfect example of ‘invisible technology.’ How would someone walking into a building know the DEVAP was being used?
As new technologies go, wind has enjoyed three decades of continuous innovation, performance and reliability improvements and falling costs – benefits of economies of scale, technological advancements and learning by doing. The law of diminishing marginal returns, however, appears to have gotten in the way of further cost reductions.
That appears to be the underlying message from a new report, The Past and Future Cost of Wind Energy with contributions of experts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a number of European collaborators. Keep reading →
