Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group

News and Updates

Spotlight: Using Robots to Assess Photovoltaic Cells

October 4, 2023

How can we make photovoltaic cells (such as those used for solar panels) work more efficiently, even in diffuse or indirect light?

A scientist wearing protective gear holds up a petri dish.

Spotlight: Never Stagnant: Microbiologist Alshae’ Logan’s Path Through the Pipeline Into Science

February 28, 2022

In grade school, Alshae’ Logan hadn’t seen or heard of a Black woman earning a doctoral degree, nor had she been taught of the contributions Black women made to

Common Solar Tech Can Power Smart Devices Indoors, NIST Study Finds

August 19, 2021

Any time you turn on a light at home or in the office, you are expending energy. But what if flipping the light switch meant producing energy too? We usually

A shower head with steamy water coming out.

NIST Identifies Critical Needs for Improved Plumbing

May 11, 2020

We don’t use water like we used to. In recent decades, concerns about cost, water shortages and environmental impacts together with changes in plumbing design

Projects and Programs

Advancing Power Electronics with Defect Metrology

Ongoing

Power electronics play a central role in all aspects of electrical energy storage, distribution, conversion, and consumption. Currently, power electronics heavily rely on Si-based insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), which have large footprints, are inefficient, and require extensive cooling

Air Distribution Impacts in Net-Zero Energy Homes

Ongoing

Objective To acquire high-quality data from well-controlled field configurations that inform residential building designers and equipment standards organizations about space conditioning and ventilation system performance characteristics, especially the air distribution system(s), when applied in

Assessment of High-Temperature and Innovative Insulation Thermal Performance

Ongoing

Objective To improve residential and industrial building energy efficiency by decreasing measurement uncertainties of the thermal resistance of insulating materials and develop measurement techniques for innovative insulation materials and systems using PCMs. Technical Idea One of the most cost

Electrical performance measurements and calibrations for photovoltaic cells and arrays

Ongoing

Objective To develop or improve the electrical and optical measurement science of photovoltaic cells to: (1) continue offering a calibration service to allow industry and academia to accurately assess device performance under a range of operating conditions, (2) offer a new measurement service for

Publications

Impacts of household water demands and water heater delivery temperatures on opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) in a residential setting

February 1, 2025

Author(s)

Alshae Logan, Jumana Aljafari, Visesh Uppoor, Tania Ullah, Jennifer Dootz

Efforts aimed towards water and energy conservation within residential buildings may create enhanced conditions for Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens

Insights into transient photovoltage lifetimes via dark J-V analysis in perovskite solar cells

September 23, 2024

Author(s)

Ganga Neupane, John Roller, Susanna Thon, Sheng Fu, Zhaoning Song, Yanfa Yan, Behrang Hamadani

Transient photovoltage (TPV) decay measurements have commonly been used to estimate the charge carrier lifetimes in solar cell devices. However, it has recently

Insights into the open circuit voltage of perovskite solar cells under low indoor lighting

April 9, 2024

Author(s)

Behrang Hamadani, Ganga Neupane, Sheng Fu, Zhaoning Song, Yanfa Yan

The rapidly growing interest in indoor photovoltaics for low light energy harvesting applications further necessitates understanding of factors that impact the

Impact of Additive Manufacturing Materials on Thermal Performance of Silicon Reference Cells

January 20, 2024

Author(s)

Andrew Shore, Jae Hyun Kim, Behrang Hamadani

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is quickly becoming a widespread manufacturing method offering timely and cost-effective build times for unique part

Software

AFUEBF Program

October 15, 2015

CALCULATION OF ANNUAL FUEL UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY OF RESIDENTIAL CENTRAL FURNACES AND BOILERS The AFUEBF program available at this website can be used to

Pyranometer Responsivity INTERpolator (PRINTER)

The Pyranometer Responsivity INTERpolator (PRINTER) interpolates pyranometer incidence angle dependent calibration factors, or responsivities (µV/W/m2), into an

Awards

2019 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers---Behrang Hamadani

For innovative and cutting-edge research in the measurement of photovoltaic materials, dedicated leadership in developing standards, and outstanding mentorship.

2019 - Silver Medal Award---Tommy Armstrong, John R. Bollinger, Daniel Gilmore, Steven Smith, Brian Dougherty, Thomas M. Sherman, Timothy Hoseth

For sustained superior group performance pursuing procurement and construction of a 15-acre, 5-megawatt, solar array system for the NIST Gaithersburg campus.

2016 - Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award---Brian Dougherty, A. Hunter Fanney, William Healy, Lisa Ng, Joshua Kneifel, Farhad Omar, Dustin Poppendieck, Harrison Skye, Tania Ullah, W. Vance Payne

For development of a unique experimental testbed to support the building industry's delivery of energy-efficient, comfortable, and healthy homes.

2016 - Bronze Medal Award---Matthew Boyd, Brian Dougherty

For development of testbeds for monitoring photovoltaic (PV) system performance that are providing critical datasets to the solar energy industry.

Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group

News and Updates

Spotlight: Using Robots to Assess Photovoltaic Cells

Spotlight: Never Stagnant: Microbiologist Alshae’ Logan’s Path Through the Pipeline Into Science

Common Solar Tech Can Power Smart Devices Indoors, NIST Study Finds

NIST Identifies Critical Needs for Improved Plumbing

Projects and Programs

Advancing Power Electronics with Defect Metrology

Air Distribution Impacts in Net-Zero Energy Homes

Assessment of High-Temperature and Innovative Insulation Thermal Performance

Electrical performance measurements and calibrations for photovoltaic cells and arrays

Publications

Impacts of household water demands and water heater delivery temperatures on opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) in a residential setting

Insights into transient photovoltage lifetimes via dark J-V analysis in perovskite solar cells

Insights into the open circuit voltage of perovskite solar cells under low indoor lighting

Impact of Additive Manufacturing Materials on Thermal Performance of Silicon Reference Cells

Software

AFUEBF Program

Pyranometer Responsivity INTERpolator (PRINTER)

Awards

2019 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers---Behrang Hamadani

2019 - Silver Medal Award---Tommy Armstrong, John R. Bollinger, Daniel Gilmore, Steven Smith, Brian Dougherty, Thomas M. Sherman, Timothy Hoseth

2016 - Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award---Brian Dougherty, A. Hunter Fanney, William Healy, Lisa Ng, Joshua Kneifel, Farhad Omar, Dustin Poppendieck, Harrison Skye, Tania Ullah, W. Vance Payne

2016 - Bronze Medal Award---Matthew Boyd, Brian Dougherty

Research Highlights

Products and Services

Contacts