In this issue

Web site of the month:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

There was a time when it was enough for power providers keep the lights on and, hopefully, keep the rates down. Increasingly, however, customers want to know what their utilities are doing about energy independence and the environment. Instead of snapping, "Darn it, I'm a customer service rep, not a scientist!" find out what the scientists are doing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

NREL is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. Transferring technologies developed at the laboratory is also an important part of NREL's mission. Western and many utilities have partnered with NREL on demonstration projects that produced widely-used technologies.

Start your scientific education

But back to the utility that is taking its first steps toward sustainability. Learning about Renewables is a good place to start. This section covers the basics on biomass, solar, geothermal and wind. Using Renewable Energy addresses issues specific to residential, agricultural, small business customers—and electricity providers. A community-minded utility can do its local school district a good turn by pointing science teachers to the wealth of student resources for all grade levels.

Under Science and Technology, visitors can learn more about NREL's research projects on renewable resources and in other related areas like building performance, computational science and electric infrastructure. While many of these projects are highly technical in nature, Energy Analysis offers practical resources for utilities. Models and Tools links to software programs, calculators and reports to assist with analyzing benefits, policies, markets and programs.

Energy Analysis Publications is a searchable database of NREL analysis reports, articles and papers relating to renewable energy and energy efficiency. The resources found in a search of all documents in the "Federal Energy Management Program" category are particularly relevant to utilities.

Getting involved

To take the next step toward becoming a partner with NREL, visit Applying Technologies. This section helps to connect organizations with the right clean energy technologies, programs and strategies for their unique needs. Options include "Developing International Applications," "Developing Environmental Applications," "Saving Energy and Water in Federal Buildings," "Assisting State and Local Governments" and "Assisting Tribes to Develop Renewables." Interested investors will find links to business opportunities on this page, as well.

The renewable energy novice who is not quite ready to commit to partnerships or investment can still become more involved in the industry. NREL's event calendar posts conferences, meetings and training opportunities for energy-related organizations around the world. For those in the Denver area, NREL frequently hosts educational workshops, lectures and discussion forums, for the scientific and business communities as well as the general public.
 
The Event Calendar is part of NREL's newsroom, a good place to simply browse for more about the latest developments in renewable energy and energy technology. Discover NREL is a monthly newsletter that highlights research activities and partnerships, and announces events, publications and funding opportunities. Visitors can register to receive the newsletter by e-mail. For more details about specific projects, check news releases and Science and Technology News.

Lab open to visitors

For a world-class research and development laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Web site is surprisingly accessible, like the facility itself. Through self-guided tours of the NREL Visitors Center in Golden, Colo., visitors of all ages can discover technologies that can save energy, improve the environment and lower energy bills.

NREL also offers free education programs for children, teens and adults. These programs present renewable energy and energy efficiency concepts and applications in a fun and engaging way.

The most surprising thing to be learned from NREL's Web site may be how advanced renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are. A little time spent browsing the site is bound to turn up some measure that can help utilities and their customers save energy today. NREL may not be able to turn a customer service representative into a scientist, but it can make science seem like a utility's friend.