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January 2018
NREL Begins On-Site Validation of Drivetrain Gearbox and Bearings
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently installed a new gearbox and main bearing in the U.S. Department of Energy-owned General Electric 1.5-megawatt SLE turbine.
NREL Announces New Technology Development and Innovation Project Selections
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected two projects to receive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Technology Development and Innovation (TD&I) subcontracts. These awards provide recipients access to NREL's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) facilities and expertise in support of projects involving the research and development of early-stage wind-wildlife impact minimization technologies.
News Release: Multi-model Effort Highlights Progress, Future Needs in Renewable Energy Modeling
Four agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), hosted two workshops that led to a new report where the teams identified areas of importance for modeling variable renewable energy, performed experiments to determine key assumptions, and compiled a set of recommendations for future research in this area.
News Release: NREL Launches Electrification Futures Study Series
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is spearheading the Electrification Futures Study, a research collaboration to explore the impacts of widespread electrification in all U.S. economic sectors--commercial and residential buildings, transportation, and industry.
November 2017
First Full-Scale Evaluation of Gearbox Failure Generates Industry Interest
A new article by NREL researchers summarizes the first full-scale assessment of operating conditions that may generate white etching cracks in the bearings of wind turbine gearboxes--one of the most common causes of gearbox failure.
NREL Announces New Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project Contracts
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently announced six new contracts for Round 5 of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project.
New Study Indicates Shorter-Term Storage Can Reduce Variable-Generation Curtailments
Increasing the penetration of variable energy sources such as solar and wind energy in the grid without introducing heavy curtailment does not require costly, very-long-duration storage.
October 2017
America's Wind Energy Future Looks Seaward
NREL research supports emerging offshore wind industry.
September 2017
Wind and Wave Energy Pioneer Finds Freedom in Research
Research Fellow Bob Thresher likes to venture into the unknown, a quality that spurred his pioneering career at NREL.
August 2017
Science-Driven Innovation Can Reduce Wind Energy Costs by 50% by 2030
With science driving wind-technology innovations, the unsubsidized cost of wind energy could drop to 50% of current levels, equivalent to $23/megawatt-hour, by 2030, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
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Last Updated May 5, 2025