News

Author: Rob Gross

I recently had the pleasure of visiting colleagues at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. This was a great opportunity to bolster ties and explore potential collaborative ventures between our two institutions.

Sharing Expertise

NREL is one of 17 national labs in the United States, playing a pivotal role in advancing renewable energy technologies stateside. With nearly 50 years of experience, and an annual budget of over $780 million, the laboratory has a strong track record in technology development, with leading edge laboratories for research on advanced solar, hydrogen and other technology options. From a UKERC perspective it is also notable that NREL takes a systems approach to addressing the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss through research and development on integrated energy pathways, the circular economy, and more.

During my short time in Colorado, I was able to speak with NREL scientists and experts across various disciplines such as energy systems, energy markets, and technology evaluation, to name a few. I remain inspired by the valuable insights and discussions I had on priority topics for future collaboration, including public engagement, market design for high-renewables systems, energy security, and resilience​.

The visit also included a tour of NREL’s state-of-the-art facilities and test labs. These facilities are at the forefront of renewable energy research, featuring setups like the Energy Systems Integration Facility and Solar Energy Research Facility. These facilities are crucial for testing and evaluating new energy technologies under real-world conditions​ and advancing our collective knowledge​.

Future Collaboration

I’ve left inspired by the spirit of collaboration, and in Autumn 2024 UKERC and NREL hope to kick off a joint webinars and online meetings to continue our exchange of information. These sessions aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between UKERC and the NREL, paving the way for more in-depth collaborative research projects. This builds on the fantastic work our respective researchers collaborate on through the RD20 initiative (more on this year’s RD20 conference here), which brings together G20 country research institutes to focus on accelerating the global deployment of renewable energy technologies​.

All countries face similar challenges in delivering the energy transition. To everyone at the NREL, I want to thank you for the warmest of welcomes, and how I know it reflects the strength of our shared interests and expertise. I very much hope to continue our work together throughout the rest of this year, and beyond.