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national renewable energy laboratory

Range Fuels Out of Money?

January 12, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 853 views
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It is no secret that I have been a critic of Range Fuels — not necessarily of their technology but of their approach. I won’t rehash all of the issues I have had with the company; in a nutshell I felt they like were making claims that were very unreasonable, and taking in a lot of taxpayer money based on those claims. As a taxpayer and... [read more]

Wind power: Clean energy solution of the month

May 7, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 243 views
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Our favorite climate de-crocker, Peter Sinclair has now started putting together videos on clean energy solutions.  Here’s his latest: Wind Power is truly a core climate (and peak oil) solution.  If you want to know more, here’s where to start: Wind Power — A core climate solution NREL: US has three times... [read more]

Push for More Wind Power Where Most Needed

March 30, 2010 by Jonathan Smith
with 238 views
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Chicago Tribune reporter Julie Wernau got this blogz attention with the title of her article, “Putting wind-generated power where it’s needed.” Her article focuses upon 2 critical elements: 1) putting turbines where wind energy is suitable and 2) building wind farms that are capable of linking to the grid. A new NREL study offers... [read more]

Vaporizing biomass with sunlight — cool, eh?

March 11, 2010 by Tyler Hamilton
with 275 views
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Check out this story of mine in MIT Technology Review about Sundrop Fuels, a Colorado startup that’s trying to commercialize a process that uses the sun to gasify biomass, instead of burning a portion of the biomass itself to drive the gasification process. The technology is based on research carried out at the University of Colorado,... [read more]

Combining HVAC and Energy Storage Cooling in EVs

March 1, 2010 by Jonathan Smith
with 372 views
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As this blog has noted before, PEEM (Power Electronics and Electrical Machine) technology is essential with electric-drive vehicles. PEEM technology comprises three main elements: power electronics (e.g., boost converters and inverters); electric motors; and thermal control and system integration. And, thermal control is a critical... [read more]

NREL: US has three times more wind electrictiy potential than previously thought

February 22, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 221 views
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Today’s guest blogger is Tom Kenworthy, Senior Fellow at American Progress. Last month, an NREL study showed that America could generate 20% percent of its power just with wind by 2024.  That would require about 300,000 MW or 300 GW.  The ultimate potential is much, much higher — 30 times higher (!) — as Tom Kenworthy, CAP’s... [read more]

Another Response to the DARPA Claim

February 19, 2010 by Robert Rapier
with 504 views
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Many of my essays here are reprinted at The Energy Collective. Following a reprint of my recent essay examining DARPA's extraordinary claim on the cost of algal fuel, a reader named Durwood Dugger (this gentleman, I presume) posted some very interesting comments that are worth reproducing here. His original comment can be found here... [read more]

We need a carbon-mitigation cost index

February 17, 2010 by Charles Barton
with 320 views
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We need a carbon-mitigation cost index. The index should measure the cost of eliminating the emissions of a ton of CO2, or of eliminating a ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. Without a carbon emission cost index, there is no measure of the potential effectiveness of policy options designed to prevent carbon emissions, or to decrease... [read more]

Even More Recovery Act Funding Rolls Out for Solar Development

February 2, 2010 by Taylen Peterson
with 188 views
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The Department of Energy has announced another $12 million in funding for solar technology research and development. The funds will go to four separate projects working intently on solar photovoltaics (PV), with all four working in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado. The goal is to facilitate... [read more]

The cost of carbon mitigation with renewables

January 27, 2010 by Charles Barton
with 548 views
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The National Renewables Energy Laboratory appears to be doing or sponsoring some decent quality research. inadvertently some of that research seems to undercut the case for renewable energy, or at the very least provide what should be a very sobering picture for renewables advocates. Last week I pointed to the Eastern Wind Integration... [read more]

Wind power makes record gains in 2009

January 26, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 300 views
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Guest post by Tom Kenworthy, Senior Fellow, American Progress. While Congress moved in fits and starts in 2009 on bipartisan legislation to spur the deployment of renewable energy and reduce global warming pollution, the U.S. wind energy industry powered ahead at a record pace. Issuing its end-of-year report, the American Wind Energy... [read more]

NREL study shows 20 percent wind possible by 2024 - Half a million jobs, 25% drop in utility carbon pollution for just 2 cents a day per household

January 20, 2010 by Joseph Romm
with 303 views
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Back in May 2008, I reported on an amazing study on U.S. wind potential by the Bush Adminstration (see “Bush DOE says wind can be 20% of U.S. power by 2030 — with no breakthroughs).” The study concluded 20% penetration was straightforward: Annual installations need to increase by only a factor of three from current levels by... [read more]

Jobs for Today, Jobs for the Future

December 3, 2009 by Joseph Romm
with 150 views
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An architect and construction manager discuss materials at the site of the Research Support Facilities Project for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which they hope will provide a national blueprint for making buildings greener and cutting energy use.  This piece by guest blogger John Podesta was first published here.... [read more]

Exclusive interview with National Renewable Energy Laboratory director on solar thermal, PV, and algae

December 2, 2009 by Joseph Romm
with 112 views
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So I just got a new Flip UltraHD camcorder in preparation for my trip to Copenhagen.  Indeed, the entire Center for American Progress team will be outfitted with Flips to bring you as many video interviews as possible with the 20,000 attendees from around the world. I brought it with me to a clean energy workshop yesterday, and... [read more]

“Invented here, sold there.”

September 17, 2009 by Joseph Romm
with 88 views
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The United States created the solar cell industry and literally launched it into space 50 years ago.   And, yes, solar PV is going to be one of the largest job-creating industries of the century, projected to grow “from a $20 billion industry in 2007 to $74 billion by 2017.” But while conservatives  work hard to kill the... [read more]