National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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NREL - Golden, Colorado

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colorado, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

Established in 1974, NREL began operating in 1977 as the Solar Energy Research Institute. It was designated a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in September 1991 and its name changed to NREL.

NREL is the principal research laboratory for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) which provides the majority of its funding. Other funding comes from DOE's Office of Science and Office of Electricity Transmission and Distribution.

NREL's areas of research and development expertise are:

• Renewable electricity
• Renewable fuels
• Integrated energy systems
• Strategic energy analysis^[1]

NREL's Technology Transfer Office supports the practical deployment of technologies developed, and this often involves collaborative research projects and licensed technologies with public and private partners. NREL's innovative technologies have been recognized with 39 "R&D 100" awards. The engineering and science behind these technology transfer successes and awards demonstrates NREL's commitment to a sustainable energy future.^[1]

Dr. Dan E. Arvizu became NREL's eighth Laboratory Director in January 2005, and was previously an executive with CH2M HILL companies.^[1]

The main research wind turbines at NREL

[edit] See also

• Renewable energy commercialization in the United States
• List of renewable energy organizations

[edit] References

• A Realizable Renewable Energy Future, John A. Turner, Science, Vol 285, 30 July 1999.

1. ^ ^{a b c} NREL Overview

[edit] External links

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• Energy lab $107M richer (archive)

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