The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL consists of five LEED Platinum buildings (two buildings operate as net-zero energy facilities) and one LEED Gold building.

Responsible Energy & Greenhouse Gas Reduction

• • Renewable energy source - 20% of electricity generated onsite from solar and wind; 106% of energy is renewable energy including renewable energy credits.

  • On-site clean electricity (including renewable energy credits [RECs] and bonuses) accounted for approximately 40% of total electricity consumption .

  • 94% reduction of Scope 1&2 GHG emissions from FY 2008 baseline.

  • 30% of staff commute by bike, carpool, transit, or telework.

  • High performance computing center has a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.03.

  • Year over year scope 1&2 GHG reduced 43.8% from FY2019 to FY2020, scope 3&4 GHG reduced 21.1% in same time period.

Waste Minimization & Reduction

• • 64% waste diversion rate.

  • 100% of eligible electronics are reused or recycled.

Corporate Social Responsibility

• • 95% of all eligible electronics purchases are EPEAT-registered - EPEAT-registered products meet strict environmental criteria that address the full product lifecycle, from energy conservation and toxic materials to product longevity and end-of-life management.