Smart and connected communities use technology to better manage their urban energy systems and improve the quality and performance of government services by leveraging big data for data-driven decisions. NREL helps these communities reach their clean energy goals through cutting-edge expertise in planning, data, analytical tools, and technical support.

NREL's sustainability practices are integrated throughout the laboratory and are essential to our mission to develop clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advance related science and engineering, and provide knowledge and innovations to integrate energy systems at all scales. Sustainability initiatives are integrated through our campus, our staff, and our environment allowing NREL to provide leadership in modeling a sustainability energy future for companies, organizations, governments, and communities.

This brochure describes the NREL Spectrum of Clean Energy Innovation, which includes analysis and decision support, fundamental science, market relevant research, systems integration, testing and validation, commercialization and deployment. Through deep technical expertise and an unmatched breadth of capabilities, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) leads an integrated approach across the spectrum of renewable energy innovation. From scientific discovery to accelerating market deployment, NREL works in partnership with private industry to drive the transformation of our nation's energy systems. NREL integrates the entire spectrum of innovation, including fundamental science, market relevant research, systems integration, testing and validation, commercialization, and deployment. Our world-class analysis and decision support informs every point on the spectrum. The innovation process at NREL is inter-dependent and iterative. Many scientific breakthroughs begin in our own laboratories, but new ideas and technologies may come to NREL at any point along the innovation spectrum to be validated and refined for commercial use.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research. From scientific discovery to accelerating market adoption, NREL deploys its deep technical expertise and unmatched breadth of capabilities to drive the transformation of our nation's energy resources and systems. At NREL, we never stop innovating. Whether it is growing the scientific body of knowledge, developing analysis for policy and decision makers, engineering an integrated energy infrastructure, or establishing valuable partnerships to bring the next generation of technology to market, innovation is at the core of our work. This NREL overview fact sheet provides a high-level view of the laboratory's research capabilities, recent successes in research and technology deployment, and fast facts on partnerships, patents, funding, and NREL's history.

Partnerships have been, and continue to be, key to NREL's success and central to its mission. It's through partnerships, which originate from all over the globe, that NREL is able to deliver real-world impact in meaningful ways and create sustainable, transformational change. We are proud of our 60-plus R&D 100 awards, but realize real impact doesn't occur until our technology is deployed beyond the lab. That's why we work to develop and maintain partnerships with companies that provide us with valuable insight into the energy market, inspire new research projects and commercialize NREL technologies. We work with partners large and small, from all over the world. To date, these collective efforts have produced incredible results, spawning entire industries, accelerating start-up technologies to market, empowering innovation at every level, advancing economic growth, supporting developing communities, and fueling American energy leadership.

NREL's Education Center offers a variety of program topics and experiences for student and adult groups addressing renewable energy and energy efficiency innovations and introducing the work of NREL to audiences.

NREL's deployment and market transformation (D&MT) activities encompass the laboratory's full range of technologies, which span the energy efficiency and renewable energy spectrum. NREL staff educates partners on how they can advance sustainable energy applications and also provides clients with best practices for reducing barriers to innovation and market transformation.

We believe by linking world-renowned researchers with unique capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities that we have the power to transform energy through science. We bridge the gap from early-stage science to commercial application, connecting cutting-edge R&D with real-world innovation. We are NREL, and for more than 40 years we have worked tirelessly to make advanced energy technologies accessible to more people than ever before.

In 2012, NREL analysts produced a case study, 'Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Electric Power Markets: Best Practices from International Experience,' which drew upon dozens of interviews with international experts involved in crafting effective policies and markets. The report proposed a cross-cutting initiative to transform the world's power systems by implementing two complementarystrategies: the large-scale deployment of renewable energy, and a combination of comprehensive energy efficiency and smarter grids. This recommendation led to the launch of the 21st Century Power Partnership in April 2012, and its membership has since grown to include Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. NREL, together with its affiliated Joint Institute forStrategic Energy Analysis, are the operating agents.