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...

Figure 1. NIST 500 mm diameter guarded-hot-plate apparatus: plate and edge guard (foreground), vacuum bell jar (background). The edge guards are partially separated revealing a white insulation specimen.

Assessment of High-Temperature and Innovative Insulation Thermal Performance

Ongoing

Objective To achieve reductions in residential, commercial, and industrial building energy costs by improving consumer confidence in the performance of traditional and novel thermal insulation solutions. This is done by decreasing measurement uncertainties of the thermal resistance of insulating...

Electrical Performance Measurements of Photovoltaics and Wide Band Gap Semiconductors for Power Electronics

Ongoing

Objective To develop or improve the electrical and optical measurement science of photovoltaic and power semiconductor materials and devices by: (1) providing a calibration service to allow industry and academia to accurately assess device performance under a range of operating conditions, (2)...

Illustrated cutaway showing the inside of the Net Zero Energy House

Measurement Science for Building Systems Program

Ongoing

Objective To develop and deploy advances in measurement science to support the design and operation of high-performance building systems capable of better supporting resiliency, grid-reliability/stability, and affordability while maintaining a healthy, safe indoor environment. What is the problem...

Publications

Energy Recovery Ventilator Free Cooling Strategies Across the U.S.

September 2, 2026

Author(s)

Andrew Shore, Yunho Hwang

High-performance buildings are gaining prevalence to combat grid load and save utility costs for residential customers. ERVs could save energy by enabling...

Comparative Analysis of Voltage Losses in Perovskite and GaAs Solar Cells at Low Temperatures

August 6, 2026

Author(s)

Hurriyet Yuce Cakir, Isaac Ogunniranye, Margaret A. Stevens, Matthew P. Lumb, Kenneth J. Schmieder, Susanna Thon, Zhaoning Song, Behrang Hamadani

This study presents a comparative analysis of the open circuit voltage behavior of perovskite vs. gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells at low temperatures...

Redox-Buffering PEAI-CeOx Passivation Suppresses Thermo-Mechanical Degradation in Perovskite Solar Cells Under Rapid Thermal Cycling

July 27, 2026

Author(s)

George Asare, Minwoo Lee, Joshua Adu, Juhong Oh, Behrang Hamadani, Jae Sung Yun, Helen Park

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) show critical thermo-mechanical and defect mediated degradation at interfaces, limiting their deployment in terrestrial high...

Controlling Phase Transition Dynamics in Laser-Printed Perovskite Films via Additive-Driven Strain Engineering

April 10, 2026

Author(s)

Hurriyet Yuce Cakir, Manikanta Makala, Ganga Neupane, Marielle Deconinck, Vladimir Shilovskikh, Xinyi Zhou, Rudolph Holley III, Quinn Burlingame, Yana Vaynzof, Yueh-Lin Loo, Behrang Hamadani, Oana Jurchescu

The structural phase transitions in hybrid perovskites are critical to their performance and stability, but controlling them remains a significant challenge...

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

Assessment of High-Temperature and Innovative Insulation Thermal Performance

Electrical Performance Measurements of Photovoltaics and Wide Band Gap Semiconductors for Power Electronics

Measurement Science for Building Systems Program

Publications

Energy Recovery Ventilator Free Cooling Strategies Across the U.S.

Comparative Analysis of Voltage Losses in Perovskite and GaAs Solar Cells at Low Temperatures

Redox-Buffering PEAI-CeOx Passivation Suppresses Thermo-Mechanical Degradation in Perovskite Solar Cells Under Rapid Thermal Cycling

Controlling Phase Transition Dynamics in Laser-Printed Perovskite Films via Additive-Driven Strain Engineering

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