News

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has announced a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeking proposals from the scientific community to advance the fundamental understanding of dynamic, physical, and biogeochemical processes

biogeochemical processes

The complex interactions and transformations of chemical elements and compounds that occur throughout Earth's ecosystems, such as nutrient and element cycling between living organisms, the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and pedosphere (soil).

Source: Source

required to systematically develop and analyze results from earth system models.

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

The United States aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 2050. Getting there depends on meeting clean electricity objectives by 2030 and achieving deep energy efficiency and electrification in the buildings sector. These ambitious goals also entail replacing fossil fuels with 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

such as wind and solar.

Global offshore wind energy capacity could reach nearly 400 gigawatts by 2032, six times more than today. As this sector grows, offshore wind energy projects—as well as other renewable energy projects—need strategies for securing funding to support their construction.

Microbes

microbe

Microbes are tiny living things that are found all around us and are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They live in water, soil, and in the air.

Source: NIH Source

produce and release volatile organic compounds

volatile organic compound (VOC)

Compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants.

Source: EPA Environmental Protection Agency Source

(VOCs) as metabolites, which can be either quickly used as carbon sources in the soil by other microbes or released into the atmosphere. In newly published research, a team of scientists used an isotopic carbon tracer to track carbon allocation in soils within an artificial tropical rainforest.

While enabling innovative technological advancements, the worldwide growth in advanced computing has created a looming energy crisis. Continued innovation and efficiency gains are imperative to avoid future explosive growth in energy used for computing; however, there is little established research on how we can better design, manufacture, use, and dispose of computing devices to reduce their environmental impact.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a notice of intent under the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) calling for U.S. manufacturers of small- and medium-sized wind turbine technology to develop project ideas and teams in preparation for a 2024 request for proposals (RFP).

magine the sun slowly rising over the vast metropolis of Los Angeles, a city that stretches from the ocean to the mountains. As Angelenos wake up for the day, they turn on lights powered by 100% clean electricity. Their homes are cool, protected from the sweltering heat of the California summer. Workers commute to their jobs via electric vehicles, buses, and bikes. Everybody knows that they have a voice in energy decisions of their city.

Kanaloa, god of the ocean, is considered one of the most important deities in ancient Hawaii’s major pantheon. He affects ocean animals, wave patterns, and currents. Mythical figures like Kanaloa are not just characters in ancient stories—they are also symbols of ancestral memory, environmental wisdom, and a deep connection between people and our Earth.

Developing a diverse and knowledgeable workforce for building science is critical to meeting future decarbonization goals set by the U.S. Department of Energy. That is why the sixth annual JUMP into STEM competition is taking building science education out of the classroom and into the real world with new challenges that will inspire creativity, innovation, and teamwork for the next generation of building scientists.

The rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles will move the nation close to an 80% or more drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2019 level according to researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Adam Oppenheimer, who spent a summer internship at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory studying elusive particles called antineutrinos, earned the top spot in Ignite Off!—a fast-paced science talk competition that showcases the talents of interns contributing to research at national laboratories.

Eight teachers from Long Island school districts became science researchers this summer in a new training program designed to build awareness of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science mission areas and transfer real-world technology and coding-based skills to the classroom.