Magazine recognizes Midwest Research Institute lab for innovations (at bizjournals.com)

said Thursday that two solar-related technologies developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been named among this year’s most significant innovations by Research & Development Magazine. The announcement is significant because Kansas City-based MRI’s contract to manage and operate the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy is up for renewal, and the DOE is asking contract bidders to demonstrate their ability to step up commercialization of technology developed at NREL. Located in Golden, Colo., NREL has a $220 million annual budget and 1,200 MRI employees. NREL’s management and operating contract, MRI’s largest contract by far, expires Nov. 8, and a new five-year contract is expected to be awarded sometime in the summer. In that context, MRI announced NREL’s two awards in the... [read full story]