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The INEEL performs research and engineering in support of the development and application of renewable energy and power technologies. The primary customer for this work is the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Work is also conducted for other customers including the Department of Defense and for internal customers. Collaborations with other national laboratories, universities, and industry are an important part of these activities.
Primary areas of research and engineering are geothermal energy, hydropower, wind power, and power systems.
Geothermal Energy - The INEEL is the lead laboratory in geosciences for the DOE Geothermal Program. The mission of this program is to work in partnership with U.S. industry to establish geothermal energy as a competitive contributor to the domestic energy supply. The program has three focus areas: Geoscience, Exploration and Drilling, and Energy Systems Research & Testing. The INEEL performs work in all three of these focus areas. This work includes resource identification, assessment, and development, resource expansion (Enhanced Geothermal Systems), resource productivity and sustainability, and energy conversion. It also participates in GeoPowering the West, an outreach activity to foster awareness of the availability and benefits of geothermal energy and to promote its development in the western United States.
Hydropower - The INEEL is the lead laboratory for engineering support for the DOE Hydropower Program. The mission of the DOE Hydropower Program is to improve the technical, societal, and environmental benefits of hydropower by conducting and coordinating research and development with industry and other federal agencies. The primary focus of the program is currently the development of the next generation of hydropower turbine technology (the Advanced Hydropower Turbine System Program). The INEEL also performs work on hydropower resource assessment, hydropower economics, and integration of hydropower with other energy systems.
Wind Power - The INEEL supports the DOE Wind Powering America Program, which is an outreach activity to foster awareness of the benefits and applications of wind energy and to promote the development of domestic wind energy resources. It also performs wind energy resource assessments and wind energy systems engineering and deployment activities for the DOD.
Power Systems - The INEEL performs power systems research and engineering for renewable energy and other energy sources for both the DOE and DOD. Research and applications work is performed in areas including power system integration, reliability, power quality, power plant control, hybrid power applications, distributed power, standards development, and sensors.
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