Geothermal Heat Pump Opportunities, Sun Nerds Convene at NREL, and Kestrel Flies Beyond the Lab

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 calibrate solar measurement tools, ensuring accuracy for solar energy and climate research. 
• How researchers throughout the U.S. can utilize NREL’s Kestrel Supercomputer for their projects. Students from across the country used Kestrel's computing power to advance clean energy projects, including modeling solar wind effects on energy grids, developing hydrogen-based engines, and optimizing vehicle designs. 

Learn more about these cutting-edge clean energy innovations shaping the future! 

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by James Wilcox, 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. We express our gratitude and acknowledge that the land we are on is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.