A Bond Between NREL and Georgia Institute of Technology Drives a Bright Future

By Johney Green, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Associate Laboratory Director

Having spent the better part of the 1990’s earning my master’s and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, I have a deep bond with this proud institution. So strong is my attachment that I regularly wear Georgia Tech’s gear to work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

That’s why I am delighted that NREL and Georgia Tech signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this summer. A primary purpose of this MOU is to leverage the expansive capabilities and infrastructure of both institutions across a range of research areas.

This agreement paves the way for strengthening the diversity of research and the diversity of our researchers. There’s never been a better time, in my opinion, to have the best and brightest minds to confront challenges in a world buffeted by climate change. NREL leadership recognizes what I already know: that Georgia Tech is a leader in solving complex problems. Together, we can spark new ideas. Our collaboration will infuse new science and technology into the industrial and federal marketplace.

This trajectory of achievement also fits my 135-year-old alma mater. As Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech, said in a public release, “Building deep, substantive partnerships to impact society’s most urgent challenges is a major priority for Georgia Tech’s research enterprise.” The potential long-term benefits of creating and disseminating new energy technologies for the public good is important to the academic community.

Where to now for NREL-Georgia Tech?

Things are changing all around us in the energy research environment. Energy-related research topics are becoming more complex, and because of this, no institution can go it alone.

That’s why such a collaboration makes sense. As we’ve noted in our MOU, NREL and Georgia Tech will identify specific technical focus areas for advancement through joint roadmaps. Both organizations will set goals to achieve targets, such as attracting new investment from both public and private sources. We’ll also team up to enhance the workforce by developing promising scientists and engineers. And we’ll focus on one of NREL’s strengths, commercializing and operationalizing new technology.

We won’t have to duplicate efforts. Instead, we can share and leverage specialized or unique research facilities and equipment.

There are a wide array of potential overlapping topics waiting for us. For example, NREL has a keen focus on what we call Integrated Energy Pathways, which encompasses research on the future energy system that securely integrates renewables, building and industrial loads, energy storage, and transportation. I can imagine future Georgia Tech students eagerly pursuing these critical paths and pushing the boundaries of understanding.

There are other targets too, such as finding ways to make the electric grid more resilient, or exploring the almost limitless possibilities of enhanced cyber security of renewable energy systems. The great thing is that the blend of our researchers and the extremely talented Tech students offer almost unlimited potential.

And this won’t be a token gesture. Over time, we expect to have more joint appointments, allowing Georgia Tech faculty access to NREL while also allowing our experts to teach Tech students. Already, we are planning a series of virtual seminars on an array of pressing topics.

This is not our first such collaboration, of course. For more than 40 years, research projects led by NREL scientists and engineers have supported collaborations with universities, student internship programs, postdoctoral assignments, and joint appointments. We feel those links benefit both us and future generations.

But I have to admit a bias. Georgia Tech is dear to me. In the coming decades, I hope to have a double satisfaction of witnessing, for instance, a collaboration between NREL and Georgia Tech produce new avenues for advanced manufacturing for energy applications or to explore novel meals of advanced carbon capture concepts and materials.

I know the power of a Georgia Tech education. It opened doors for me, and ultimately led me to NREL. That’s why I can hardly wait for this partnership to begin. Unleashing the combined power of these two institutions is going to benefit the nation’s economy and its prospects for energy security that is available for all of our citizens. Go Tech — and NREL.