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January 2023
News Release: NREL Develops Systematic Framework To Compare Performance of Plastics Recycling Approaches
Researchers at NREL examined the benefits and trade-offs of current and emerging technologies for recycling certain types of plastics to determine the most appropriate options.
October 2022
Long-Lived? Highly Recyclable? Priorities for Solar Panels in a Circular Economy
To meet its 2050 decarbonization goals, the United States will need to install up to 20 times more solar photovoltaic (PV) modules than are installed today.
IN² Demonstration: The Possibilities of a Plug-and-Play Kitchen
For its latest NREL-based cohort, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) formed an all-demonstration group, where each participant would create a demonstration of their technologies as part of the program. Among the first to have its demonstration project underway is San Francisco-based Kit Switch.
Why the World Needs Manufacturing Masterminds
Read a summary of the six manufacturing experts profiled throughout the year as part of NREL's Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series.
September 2022
First Cohort of Innovators Enter West Gate
West Gate is a program that embeds innovators at NREL and pairs them with national laboratory scientists and capabilities over a period of two years, during which they have prime access to world-class national laboratory capabilities and expertise to significantly advance the development of their clean-energy technologies.
August 2022
NREL Researchers Point to Path for Improved Wind Blade Recycling Rates
Researchers at NREL are considering circular economy strategies to mitigate the impact of wind turbine blades at the end of their useful lifespan.
July 2022
NREL Selected for Space-Bound Research To Solve the Plastic Waste Dilemma
Researchers at NREL will send an engineered bacteria into space as early as next year as part of ongoing research into solving the problem of plastic waste mitigation on Earth.
June 2022
News Release: NREL Analysis Highlights Strategies Beyond Recycling To Bolster Circular Economy for Solar and Battery Technologies
In a new comprehensive literature review, researchers at NREL discovered that alternatives to recycling may have untapped potential to build an effective circular economy for solar photovoltaic and battery technologies, such as reducing the use of virgin materials in manufacturing, reusing for new applications, and extending product life spans.
April 2022
News Release: NREL Calculates Lost Value of Landfilled Plastic in U.S.
Scientists at NREL calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector.
Working Out the Details of a Circular Solar Economy
As solar grows rapidly as an energy source, the number of photovoltaic (PV) modules that are manufactured and installed each year will continue to expand.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025