This week on Peaks to Power, we break down battery research, gather updates on a water desalination device, and review a grid planning tool.  

• NLR researchers are equipping state energy offices and public utility commissions with the Sienna analysis tool and trainings to make the most of the energy planning. 
•  The latest update to the HERO WEC device could provide a blueprint for future wave energy components.  
• Years of work and a catalogue of data results in a new, open-access Battery Safety Database and more from NLR’s extensive battery research. 

Follow @NatLabRockies on Instagram to meet a few incredible interns and celebrate National Intern Day.  

This week's episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Nataleah Small. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

This week on Peaks to Power, dig into artificial intelligence, critical mineral mining, and national laboratory collaborations:

• Minnesota-based NLR researcher Ryan King is using AI to bolster critical mineral supply chains , thanks in part to a partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute.
• NLR’s Amanda Kolker and David Digon were named fellows in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program, enhancing collaboration across the national lab network. 

Find the episode transcript here. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

This week, we’re highlighting NLR advancements in grid management, materials science, and critical materials recovery. You'll hear about: 

• A new open-source tool helping utilities use smart energy management to meet growing electricity demand while reducing the need for grid upgrades 
• Brain-inspired materials that can "remember" light, opening the door to more efficient machine vision and neuromorphic computing 
• An NLR postdoc’s award-winning pitch at the recent National Lab Research SLAM about using microbes to recover critical metals from spent batteries. 

Find the transcript for this show here.

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

Joined by guest host Molly Rettig, Peaks to Power travels to Alaska and the National Laboratory of the Rockies' campus in Fairbanks to learn more about heat pumps and the researchers making it easier to install this new technology that could save consumers money on energy bills. 

Learn more about our work with heat pumps and NLR's Alaska Campus. 

Find the transcript for this show here. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

In this episode of Peaks to Power, learn about:   

• The internal short-circuit device from NLR scientists that was awarded NASA’s Invention of the Year.  
• The Agora large-load test bed, a first-of-its-kind national capability designed to help data centers become active participants in grid reliability.  
• The semiconductor-catalyst combo that captures more energy to drive chemical reactions.

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

In this episode of Peaks to Power, learn about:  

• Two Memorandums of Understanding the National Laboratory of the Rockies signed with the University of Utah and the Colorado School of Mines 
• Two researchers working to create self-driving laboratories using artificial intelligence and robotics  
• NLR’s Aeroportal web platform helping airports manage increase infrastructure and energy demands.  

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

The National Laboratory of the Rockies’ podcast is back with a new name and brand! In our first episode as Peaks to Power, you’ll hear about: 

• A rooftop “sunscreen” that’s keeping buildings cool in summer while protecting roofs from ultraviolet sunrays  
• A bioplastic made from hemp seed oil that might one day be found in aerospace, automotive, battery, and construction materials  
• A new approach, called cell-free biomanufacturing, that NLR is pioneering to turn biomass and waste into useful chemicals. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

Disclaimer: This episode was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).

New week, new discoveries! In today’s episode, you can: 

• Explore the evolving world of battery safety research—from new energy storage technologies to a strategic approach for evaluating safety at the electrode, pack, and cell levels. 
• Discover how self-propelled rail cars could make freight trains competitive in short-haul delivery for the first time. 
• Revisit the HERO-WEC, now redesigned to better withstand storms and powerful waves as it turns ocean energy into fresh drinking water. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

Disclaimer: This episode was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).

Are you curious about new technologies that maximize performance while minimizing energy use and costs? If yes, this episode is for you. Learn about: 

• A tool package that is helping trucking companies reduce fuel usage and costs by streamlining their fleet design and logistics.  
• A breakthrough in air conditioning that transforms how we condition air and when we use electricity to do it. 
• A silicon-carbide-based power module with never-before-seen efficiency, power density, and low-cost manufacturability. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.  

Disclaimer: This episode was produced when the laboratory operated as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The laboratory is now the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR).

In this episode, you’ll learn about three real-world research applications for a more reliable and cost-effective future: 

1. Experts convened at NREL to focus on deploying next-generation concrete and cement technologies to decrease our reliance on cement imports and increase durability.  
2. Artificial intelligence has the potential to help snuff out wildfires caused by downed power lines before they even begin. 
3. NREL researchers are looking at how to lower the plug and process loads of medical buildings by examining idle energy consumption of equipment like MRI scanners. 

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. Peaks to Power is created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. Email us at [email protected]. Follow NLR on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.