The nation’s main laboratory for renewable energy is The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The lab focuses on energy efficient research and development and has a mission to stay focused on advancing the U.S. Department of Energy's goals for America.

All researchers at the facility support the market’s objectives to fast forward research from being simply scientific in nature to being market-viable as alternative energy solutions for all of America. The NREL’s research and technology development areas focus on the understanding of renewable resources, the conversion of the renewable resources to electricity/fuel and the manner of being able to use this energy in homes, buildings and automobiles.

The research and development areas of NREL specialize in renewable electricity, renewable fuel, integrated energy system engineering and strategic energy analysis. The teams of researchers and developers have won 42 R&D 100 awards, showing how they are well respected in their field of study.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratories first opened in 1977 and was called the Solar Energy Research Institute. In September 1991, it was designated as the national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The institute’s name change occurred during this transition.

It remains the principle research lab and facility for the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In addition, it works with the Office of Science and the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. The entire National Renewable Energy Laboratories is managed by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.