News

Students with a focus on building science will spend 10 weeks this summer interning at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy

renewable energy

Renewable energy comes from unlimited, naturally replenished resources, such as the sun, tides, and wind. Renewable energy can be used for electricity generation, space and water heating and cooling, and transportation.

Source: U.S Department of Energy Source

Laboratory and Pacific Northwest Laboratory as winners of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Building Technologies Office sixth annual JUMP into STEM finals competition. Nine student teams were selected to participate in the finals, which were hosted at ORNL January 25–26, 2024.

In January 2023, eight scientists joined the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s User Executive Committee (UEC). Among them was Zhien Wang, professor and Empire Innovation Scholar at the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences on Long Island, New York. Each UEC member brings a unique perspective and diverse research background to the committee. Wang brings extensive expertise in atmospheric remote sensing,

remote sensing

The process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance (typically from satellite or aircraft).

Source: USGS Source

cloud physics, aerosol

aerosols

Small particles or droplets, such as wildfire smoke, volcanic gases, or salty sea spray, that float in the air. They are emitted by both natural events and human activities.

Source: NASA Global Climate Change Source

and cloud distributions, airborne Raman lidars, and instrument engineering.

Earth system model

earth system model (ESM)

A model that simulates how chemistry, biology, and physical forces work together. These models are similar to, but much more comprehensive than, global climate models.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy Source

representations of aerosols, clouds, and their interactions are subject to large uncertainties. Model simulations need to be evaluated against real-world measurements to ensure their fidelity in representing the observed properties. However, many current model diagnostics packages do not include a detailed process-level evaluation of aerosols, clouds, and their interactions. Moreover, many recent field campaigns provide comprehensive measurements of aerosols and clouds that are currently underutilized.

The U.S. Department of Energy revealed the first phase winners of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize Partnerships Track, which is giving away nearly $8 million to winning HBCUs to help prepare the next generation of future clean energy leaders. Not only are the winners being announced during Black History Month, but the HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize also comes at a critical time for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field.

The city of Philadelphia has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050, and the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform is illustrating opportunities to reach that goal equitably. Access to clean energy benefits is inequitable across the nation, and Philadelphia is no exception. Philadelphia is one of the most energy-burdened cities in the United States, meaning in many neighborhoods, households spend an average of more than 6% of their income on energy bills.

Nicholas Rorrer does not describe himself as a car guy. Even so, new advancements in his research developing recyclable carbon fiber composites using bio-derivable epoxies represent some of the most promising solutions yet for decarbonizing the vehicle manufacturing process and beyond. Rorrer currently leads a team of NREL researchers working to replace the heavy, resource-intensive steel parts in vehicles with recyclable carbon fiber composites.

Rippy is a researcher and subprogram lead in the Advanced Manufacturing Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). For the moment, there is one big question that guides all her work: How can we reduce industrial emissions? The U.S. industrial sector accounts for about 23% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. If Rippy and her colleagues can help staunch those emissions, that would be a big win in the fight to slow climate change.

climate change

A change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time.

Source: NASA Climate Kids Source

Two-Day Gathering of Experts in Renewable Energy Technologies Yields Reliability Recommendations. Renewable energy is forecast to play an expanded role in meeting future needs, with terawatts of electricity expected to be generated from wind and solar, so the performance of the technologies involved is becoming increasingly important. Any technology degrades over time, so researchers are looking at ways to curb this issue. Mitigating degradation will become a factor for both national energy security and economic health.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s managing contractor, UT-Battelle, presented a donation of $186,000 to Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development, or SEEED, to support the nonprofit’s third green solar home as part of their Green Construction Program. Streiffer joined SEEED for a groundbreaking ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn., at the home project site. He recognized SEEED’s efforts in creating housing equity while encouraging the distribution of clean energy benefits to the community.

Since it first opened its doors 16 months ago, the University of California Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLCC) has helped strengthen collaborations to address some of the UC system’s — and the nation’s — most pressing problems. Located on the east side of the Laboratory across the street from the Discovery Center, UCLCC seeks to connect people, expertise and technology across the 10 UC campuses, three national labs, five medical centers and statewide agriculture and natural resources programs.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) circulates water from north to south and back in a long cycle within the Atlantic Ocean. This circulation brings warmth to various parts of the globe and also carries nutrients necessary to sustain ocean life.

Source: NOAA Source

(AMOC) plays a prominent role in transporting heat northward, maintaining the temperate climate over Europe and North America. Recently, observational studies suggested an imminent collapse of the AMOC, an indicator of an abrupt shift to a colder climate, which is similar to that in more northern regions. However, the mechanism behind this potential collapse is far from being understood.

A noticeable change filled the air last summer—an actual change in air quality. Wildfires in Canada produced smoke-filled skies and wood-burnt, chemically scented air. National media showed images of orange-tinged skies in New York City and other urban areas. Unhealthy air quality plagued much of the United States during our hottest months, and at various times several U.S. cities had the worst air quality in the world.