US Department of Energy

Possible secondary uses for lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, industry and academia are teaming to give batteries from electric drive vehicles a "second life."

Antarctica's ice puts electric vehicles to test

The punishment your car endures on a cold winter commute pales in comparison to the veritable torture that researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are inflicting on two electric utility research vehicles — all in the name of science.

Intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles

Two forthcoming events in Germany reflect the intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles. Energy Harvesting Europe 21-22 June covers many forms of harvesting for other applications as well and drills into the technology, investment and other aspects of harvesting in general. On the other hand Electric Vehicles Land Sea Air in Stuttgart 28-29 June is entirely vehicle oriented.

Google and DOE create EV charging location network

As electric vehicle charging infrastructure becomes a key consideration for governments aiming to progress the wide spread adoption of EVs, innovative, smart solutions are becoming imperative. Google and the U.S. Department of Energy lead a collaboration to increase the ease with which EV motorists can locate their nearest charging stations.

Energy harvesting for automotive applications

Energy harvesters do not necessarily make sense in all potential applications where a battery is replaced.

Federal funding puts capacitor design on the road to realization

Funded with a recent $2.25 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy, or ARPA-E, Welsch will try to make a capacitor ready for market within three years.

Intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles

Two forthcoming events in Germany reflect the intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles.

New top speed record set for electric motorcycle

The SWIGZ.COM Pro Racing team has set a top speed record for an electric motorcycle of 190.6 mph in the Mojave Mile Shootout.

River water and salty ocean water create electricity

Stanford researchers have developed a battery that takes advantage of the difference in salinity between freshwater and seawater to produce electricity.

Nano College awarded $57.5M

The University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering has been awarded $57.5 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to create a solar manufacturing consortium that could rival what Sematech did for the computer chip industry and the city of Austin, Texas two decades ago.

GE achieves highest publicly reported efficiency for Thin Film Solar

Plans to Build US Manufacturing Plant Highest-Ever Reported Efficiency of Nearly 13 Percent on a Full-Size CdTe Thin Film Solar Panel More than 100 Megawatts of New Orders for Thin Film Solar Products GE to Build 400-Megawatt Manufacturing Facility, will be Larger than Any Existing US Solar Panel Plant Today Solar Strategy Complemented by Announced Acquisition of Power Conversion Technology Company Converteam GE Completes Acquisition of PrimeStar Solar, Inc.

Highest publicly reported efficiency for thin film solar

General Electric has announced that a full-size, thin film solar panel developed by the company has been independently certified as the most efficient ever publicly reported milestone for the technology.

New Energy and NREL cooperative research and development agreement

New Energy Technologies, Inc. has announced that as part of its efforts to advance the commercial development of SolarWindow™, capable of generating electricity on see-thru glass, the Company has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

DOE awards 3M $4.4 million to reduce cost of PV energy systems

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded 3M $4.4 million as part of DOE's SunShot Initiative. SunShot aims to reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent, so that they are cost-competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies.

The first practical artificial leaf

Scientists at MIT have claimed one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy — development of the first practical artificial leaf.

Residential charging stations are rolled-out nationally in the U.S.

Earlier this year the world's largest electric vehicle infrastructure installation initiative began in the United States, project managed by ECOtality.

SoloPower's $197 million U.S. DOE loan to build thin film PV factory

SoloPower receives offer of conditional commitment for a $197 million loan guarantee from U.S. DOE to build thin film photovoltaic module factory.

$10 million for thermoelectric technology company

In the U.S. over 50 percent of generated energy is lost due to technological and processing limitations. Start-up company Phononic Devices has raised $10 million in Series B funding from private equity investors towards their primary target to develop thermoelectric systems to increase the efficiency of energy generation.

Progress with energy harvesting buoy

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is a renewable energy company specializing in offshore wave power technology. OPT's PowerBuoy system extracts the natural energy in ocean waves and converts it to useable power.

Ascent Solar advancement of loan guarantee for 150MW Plant

Ascent Solar 150MW manufacturing facility project advances to due diligence review phase with U.S. Department of Energy