In this episode, hosts Kerrin and Taylor dive into three stories with one goal: powering our world with curiosity, creativity, and just a dash of “What if it fails?” Listen in to explore:

• Updates to NREL’s risk management framework. Remember the HERO-WEC from last episode? Researchers are working with the team behind this device to help developers identify, prioritize, and address the challenges of designing and deploying wave energy converters.
• How NREL engineer Bri Friedman will deploy a new underwater wave energy converter. As she prepares to take the SURF-WEC to Hawaii, Friedman is embracing early challenges as a way to accelerate learning and share open data with the marine energy community. Plus,
• Insights into how researchers are fast-tracking battery diagnostics with AI. NREL’s new physics-informed neural network can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models, combining the speed of AI with the accuracy of physics—and it’s available for free!

This episode was hosted by Kerrin Jeromin and Taylor Mankle, written and produced by Allison Montroy, Hannah Halusker, and Kaitlyn Stottler, and edited by Taylor Mankle, 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. Email us at podcast@nrel.gov. Follow NREL on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Facebook.