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NREL - National Renewable Energy Laboratory
About NRELEnergy AnalysisScience and TechnologyTechnology TransferTechnology DeploymentEnergy Systems Integration

Overview

View a text version of the NREL Overview video.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. Learn about our mission, values, and key facts.

NREL's Mission

NREL develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation's energy and environmental goals.

Our emphasis is on a comprehensive energy approach that encompasses the relationship among key systems:

Quick Facts

Lab Director

Dr. Dan Arvizu

Funding

$388.6 million in fiscal year 2011
Funding history

Campus Size

327 acres — Golden campus
305 acres — National Wind Technology Center

National Centers

National Bioenergy Center
National Center for Photovoltaics
National Wind Technology Center

Research at NREL

13 research programs

Employment

1,700 fulltime employees
800 visiting researchers, interns, and contractors

College Degrees Held by Staff

2,600

Countries Represented on Staff

66

  • Fuel production
  • Transportation
  • The built environment
  • Electricity generation and delivery.

This systems integration approach will accelerate the transformation of our nation's energy use and delivery systems.

Our focus is on a clean energy future.

A Model of Sustainability

At NREL, we operate sustainably. We are committed to leading the way as a global model for sustainability and our work is held to the highest environment, health, safety, and quality standards.

Our 327-acre main campus in Golden, Colorado, houses four LEED-rated buildings. The laboratory also operates the National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado.

Partnerships

NREL is the principal research laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The laboratory is managed for EERE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, a partnership between Battelle and MRIGlobal.

NREL also conducts research for DOE's Office of Science and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

We partner with private industry, academia, and government. Learn about ways to work with us.

Learn more by reading the National Renewable Energy Laboratory - 35 Years of Innovation Fact Sheet.