John Farrell — Associate Laboratory Director, Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences

John Farrell is the associate laboratory director for NREL's Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences directorate.

In this role, he oversees NREL's programs for buildings, wind, water, geothermal, advanced manufacturing and composites, industrial innovation, concentrating solar power, fossil energy and carbon management, and Arctic research. Together, these programs encompass a portfolio of more than $260 million and a workforce of approximately 600 staff members who conduct research and development to enable technological innovations in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and renewable power. Farrell also co-leads the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems research platform, the nation's most advanced platform for energy systems integration research and validation.

Previously, Farrell oversaw the RD&D portfolio for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office as NREL's laboratory program manager for the office and managed the RD&D portfolio for DOE's Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

Before joining NREL in 2013, Farrell spent 15 years at ExxonMobil's Corporate Strategic Research Laboratory, where he held various technical, strategic planning, and program management positions and led research collaborations with numerous vehicle manufacturers, universities, and DOE national labs.

He has been named an NREL Distinguished Member of Research Staff and is a fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers International. He holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Purdue University and a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Colorado.