In this episode, explore three ways NREL researchers are creating energy solutions for small, remote, and rural regions:

• How a microgrid project on Martha’s Vineyard is strengthening the island’s energy resilience and reliability during outages
• How NREL’s ARIES platform is being used to test new electrification scenarios for airports—before infrastructure is built
• How geothermal heat stored underground could help meet building heating needs in Alaska’s Arctic climate

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy, Hannah Halusker, and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by Taylor Mankle, Joe DelNero, and Brittany Falch. Graphics are by Brittnee Gayet. Our title music is written and performed by Ted Vaca and episode music by Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.

In this episode, explore three ways NREL researchers are seeking out energy solutions:

• An experiment dubbed “No Photon Left Behind” examined if growing tomatoes under the filtered light spectrum of a semitransparent photovoltaic panels would make them grow faster, bigger, and tastier.
• The BOTTLE consortium at NREL released a paper recently that looked at new methods for recycling carbon fiber composites, the high-strength, low weight materials made from epoxy-amine resins that encase long carbon fibers and form a stiff material found in many consumer products like bicycles, planes, and cars.
• NREL researchers are using an advanced imaging tool called x-ray nanoscale computed tomography imaging – or nano-C-T imaging, to analyze batteries at the end of their useful life and reveal hidden flaws that give us insights into how battery materials change during its life.

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy, Hannah Halusker, and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by Taylor Mankle, Joe DelNero, and Brittany Falch. Graphics are by Brittnee Gayet. Our title music is written and performed by Ted Vaca and episode music by Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.

In this episode, hosts Kerrin and Taylor dive into three stories with one goal: powering our world with curiosity, creativity, and just a dash of “What if it fails?” Listen in to explore:

• Updates to NREL’s risk management framework. Remember the HERO-WEC from last episode? Researchers are working with the team behind this device to help developers identify, prioritize, and address the challenges of designing and deploying wave energy converters.
• How NREL engineer Bri Friedman will deploy a new underwater wave energy converter. As she prepares to take the SURF-WEC to Hawaii, Friedman is embracing early challenges as a way to accelerate learning and share open data with the marine energy community. Plus,
• Insights into how researchers are fast-tracking battery diagnostics with AI. NREL’s new physics-informed neural network can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models, combining the speed of AI with the accuracy of physics—and it’s available for free!

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy, Hannah Halusker, and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by Taylor Mankle, Joe DelNero, and Brittany Falch. Graphics are by Brittnee Gayet. Our title music is written and performed by Ted Vaca and episode music by Chuck Kurnik, Jim Riley, and Mark Sanseverino of Drift BC. Transforming Energy: The NREL Podcast is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.