Dr. Garimella’s most recent work has been in renewable and sustainable energy systems. One research focus has been investigation of power cycles aligned with low-temperature heat sources, including geothermal, solar and biomass as well as for waste heat recovery from power plants and industrial processes. His group’s work in solar thermal energy storage has led to a comprehensive understanding of the operation and efficient design of thermocline storage systems.  He has given lectures on these topics at the State Department, Department of Energy (DOE), and the White House. He is the State Department’s Delegate at the International Energy Agency, and focuses on transmission systems and grid-level storage, which are critical ingredients to realizing a clean-energy future.

Dr. Garimella is part of the investigating team in the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS), co-led by the Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and jointly supported by DOE and the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology with $50M in funding. Through an environment of cooperation and innovation "without borders," this Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC) will develop and ready emerging and revolutionary solar electricity technologies toward the long-term success of India's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Energy Mission and the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. Dr. Garimella is co-lead for Storage and Hybridization activities.