Peaks to Power

10:19

Managing Marine Energy and Monitoring Battery Health

Peaks to Power ·

2025/06/25

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...

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11:11

Elevator Parts in Marine Energy Tech, Transportation...

Peaks to Power ·

2025/06/11

In this episode of The NREL Podcast, hosts Taylor Mankle and Kerrin Jeromin spotlight three stories where innovation meets real-world impact, including: Marine energy tech getting a surprising upgrade. NREL researchers test an elevator pulley belt to improve their wave-powered desalination device, called the HERO WEC. A major milestone for secure transportation data sharing. The Transportation Secure Data Center celebrates 15 years of enabling smarter transportation planning while ...

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7:58

Improving Housing in Alaska, the Power of Quantum...

Peaks to Power ·

2025/05/28

In this episode of The NREL Podcast, hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle take listeners across the United States to explore three very different—but equally impactful—stories from the lab, including: A look at NREL’s work with the Chilkat Indian Village to improve housing in Klukwan, a remote Alaskan village facing a housing emergency. Discover how retrofits, health assessments, and workforce development are bringing warmth and opportunity to the community. NREL’s partnership wi...

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11:19

A Record-Breaking Year for Innovation and the...

Peaks to Power ·

2025/05/14

In this episode, hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle dive into a banner year for innovation at NREL. Together, they explore the entrepreneurial side of energy technology, including: NREL’s record-breaking 294 invention disclosures and 46 patents in Fiscal Year 2024—including the first patent from NREL’s Cybersecurity Research Center, an AI-powered system for grid security. Licensing Executive Eric Payne explains how patents reflect years of prior innovation, and the team highlights o...

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8:55

A Researcher’s Career Journey, an Arizona High...

Peaks to Power ·

2025/04/30

In this episode, hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle highlight the human side of energy innovation—from personal career journeys to community impact and mentorship. Highlights include: A look into how Senior Scientist Susan Habas’ love for 90s pop culture inspired her to pursue a career in catalytic research, providing the foundations for her cutting-edge work at NREL. How Ponderosa High School in Arizona is empowering students who faced difficulties in their education by giving...

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10:29

The Ocean Energy Testing Barrier, Building a...

Peaks to Power ·

2025/04/16

In this episode, hosts Taylor Mankle and Kerrin Jeromin explore stories of innovation and determination at NREL, including: How researchers are testing marine energy technologies in land-locked Colorado. With tools like a sophisticated wave tank and the Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP), researchers can test marine energy devices in simulated ocean conditions—without ever dipping a toe in the sea. These facilities reduce time, cost, and risk, accelerating the development of reliabl...

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25:57

Lab Notes: Let's Talk Transmission Planning

Peaks to Power ·

2025/01/15

Electricity demand is rapidly increasing in the United States—so much so that we may need to double or even triple our transmission system by 2050! But how does that work? In this special Lab Notes episode, you’ll hear directly from experts at NREL—Jarrad Wright, Christina Simeone, and Faith Smith—about key findings from the National Transmission Planning Study. Providing concrete examples and data from the study, they dive into why exactly the U.S. grid needs an upgrade, where the barri...

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9:39

NREL's Top Stories of 2024

Peaks to Power ·

2025/01/08

To kick off the first episode of the new year, our hosts are celebrating a few of their favorite renewable energy innovations of 2024! From advancements in sustainable aviation to innovative solutions for reducing plastic pollution, this episode highlights 10 of the lab's top stories of 2024, showcasing the future of renewable energy and sustainable technologies. Learn more about how NREL is celebrating the incredible strides made over the past year in renewable energy research and ...

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9:55

NREL People Picking Up Trash, Installing Rooftop...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/12/11

In this episode, explore the volunteer efforts of NREL employees and how they’re making a tangible impact on their communities while advancing the lab’s mission of a renewable energy future. Hear from Education, Stewardship, and Community Action for Promoting Environmental Sustainability (ESCAPES) Cofounder Hilary Sewell and NREL Volunteer Coordinator Ivilina Thornton about how NREL staff are partnering with organizations like GRID Alternatives to give directly to the community, whether ...

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14:43

Building Heating Solutions, Inspiring Students, and...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/11/27

In this Thanksgiving week episode, special correspondent Nataleah Small joins to dive into the latest innovations at NREL, including: How NREL researchers are revolutionizing heating systems by using salt-hydrate thermochemical materials (TCMs) to create more efficient, cost-effective heating solutions. From hydration and dehydration processes to innovative reactor configurations, discover how TCMs could transform the way buildings stay warm in winter. A few ways NREL’s STEM Educati...

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41:03

Lab Notes: Agrivoltaics—Where Agriculture and Solar...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/11/21

In this Lab Notes episode, we explore the ins and outs of integrating solar energy with agriculture—also known as agrivoltaics! Learn about why agrivoltaics is vital for sustainable growth, along with NREL’s work in pioneering the technique from lead Agrivoltaics researcher Jordan Macknick. Then, dive into how agrivoltaics is evolving in the United States and the challenges of scaling these projects with Ethan Winter from American Farmland Trust. Finally, understand the critical role of ...

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12:45

US Forest Service Goes Green, the Cost of Owning...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/11/13

In this week’s episode, your hosts dive into a few real-world applications of NREL’s research, including:Boosting Energy Efficiency on the Front Lines of Wildfire Control: through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, NREL introduced solar power and battery storage solutions to wildfire basecamps, paving the way for quieter, cleaner, and more efficient firefighting support.Decoding Zero-Emission Vehicle Costs: Now available for public use, NREL's T3CO tool helps owners of commercial veh...

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11:14

Geothermal Heat Pump Opportunities, Sun Nerds Convene...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/10/30

In this Halloween-inspired episode, our hosts explore recent highlights in NREL’s research, including: A look into the potential of geothermal heat pumps (GHPs). NREL’s 19 new case studies provide real-world GHP examples across various U.S. climate zones, with installations at the NREL Alaska Campus, Seattle Public Schools, and more. A gathering of “Sun Nerds” at the NREL Pyrheliometer Comparisons (NPC) event, during which scientists from around the world had the chance to calibrat...

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17:56

Lab Notes: A Journey Into the Future of Sustainable...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/10/28

In this episode of Transforming Energy’s Lab Notes series, hosts Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle are flying high into NREL’s research on sustainable aviation. The federal government and the aviation industry have lofty goals for decarbonizing aviation by 2050, but how can we get there? NREL researcher Scott Cary shares how national labs, like NREL, are key to identifying pathways to a more sustainable aviation sector.Additionally, Dave Ulane, director of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics,...

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13:33

A Photosynthesis Friendship and the US Grid...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/10/16

In this week’s episode, our hosts Kerrin and Taylor discuss: A 30-year friendship that brings together NREL and minority-serving institutions through DOE’s Visiting Faculty Program to focus on unraveling the mysteries of photosynthesis. NREL researcher Juanping Yu and Alabama State University professor Harvey Hou research collaboration has resulted in research papers, an Energy Earthshots award, and new friendships. Upgrading the nation’s power grid is a huge undertaking, but one ...

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13:05

The Unofficial Mascots of NREL’s Colorado and Alaska...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/10/02

In this episode, our hosts explore the unofficial mascots of NREL’s campuses in Colorado and Alaska. This interactive episode covers: A fun guessing game (listeners are encouraged to join in) connecting clips of animal calls to their sources—the unofficial mascots of each campus. The game highlights how the local wildlife at each campus symbolizes the lab’s key research areas: solar, wind, or sustainable buildings. NREL's efforts to coexist with the wildlife at each campus, respect...

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9:32

Interns, Economy, and Startups: The NREL Impact

Peaks to Power ·

2024/09/18

In this week’s episode, our hosts dive into NREL’S impact, featuring: NREL’s research interns and how they’re not only gaining valuable experience but making tangible contributions to the clean energy transition. This year alone, NREL employed more than 500 interns both on-site and remote. Listen to what summer 2024 intern Amanda Behmer has to say about her experiences working on organic photovoltaic devices! The national and local economic impacts of NREL in the 2023 fiscal year. W...

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10:33

Recyclable Wind Turbine Blades, Cybersecurity...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/09/04

In this episode, our hosts discuss: Recyclable Wind Turbine Blades: Researchers at NREL are developing wind turbine blades using a new material known as PECAN (PolyEster Covalently Adaptable Network) resin. This bioderivable resin allows the blades to be chemically recycled and remanufactured multiple times, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional wind blades that often end up in landfills after their 20-year lifespan. Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure: As the world...

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13:51

Cars, Concrete, and Changes to the Grid

Peaks to Power ·

2024/08/21

In this episode, our hosts discuss: Carbon-Negative Concrete – Learn about the BUILD'EM project, which aims to replace traditional cement with a low-carbon alternative made from lignin and other innovative materials. This new concrete not only reduces emissions but also promises to be cost-competitive and environmentally friendly. Discover how these new pavers could significantly lower the carbon footprint of concrete and contribute to a more sustainable built environment. EV Chargi...

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11:20

Perovskites in a Circular Economy, Clean Hydrogen...

Peaks to Power ·

2024/08/07

In this episode, our hosts discuss:1. Revolutionizing Solar Energy with Perovskites As we develop technology to produce renewable energy, it’s important that our materials don’t cause problems for future generations! Discover how NREL researchers are advancing perovskite solar technology, which promises a leap forward in solar energy efficiency. These emerging materials could lead to high-performance solar panels that are designed with recycling in mind, supporting a circular economy. 2....

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