National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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| Established | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Research Type | Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy |
| Budget | $210 Million |
| Director | Dan E. Arvizu |
| Staff | 1,230 |
| Location | Golden, CO |
| Operating Agency | Midwest Research Institute and Battelle Memorial Institute |
| Website | www.nrel.gov |
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 which provides the majority of its funding. Other funding comes from DOE's Office of Science and Office of Electricity Transmission and Distribution.
One of the programs of the NREL is the Tribal Energy Program, the goal of which is to promote tribal energy self-sufficiency and foster employment and economic development on tribal lands through the development of renewable energy. The Program provides financial and technical assistance to tribes for feasibility studies and shares the cost of implementing sustainable renewable energy installations on tribal lands.
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[edit] New Construction
NREL completed the Science and Technology Facility (S&TF) in 2006. This 71,000 square foot facility dedicated to photovoltaic research was awarded a US Green Building Council LEED Platinum rating in March 2007. S&TF became the first federal facility and third laboratory to achieve the highest LEED rating.
[edit] Recent budget fluctuations
In early February, 2006, NREL's budget was cut by $28 million. As a result, 32 workers were laid off; NREL also cancelled outside contracts and subcontracts. [1]
On February 20, 2006, the Department of Energy announced it had restored $5 million to NREL's budget. This announcement coincided closely with a visit by President George W. Bush on February 21, 2006. Bush stated the original budget cut was the result of "mixed signals" [2]. An NREL official stated the lab will attempt to rehire the employees who were laid off, but cancelled contracts will not be restored. [3]
In March 2007, it was reported that The National Renewable Energy Laboratory will get $107 million more in the current budget year. The extra money amounts to an increase of more than 50 percent in the lab’s budget. Before the boost, the budget was about $200 million. The Energy Department will give the lab $20 million to expand its Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility, $17 million to equip its science and technology facility, and $63 million to design and build a research support facility. [4]
[edit] See also
- Renewable energy
- Solar America Initiative
[edit] External links
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE).
- Energy lab $107M richer
