DOE/GO-102001-1102

FS175
ENERGY March 2001

EFFICIENCY
AND
Renewable Energy:
RENEWABLE An Overview
CLEARINGHOUSE
ENERGY What is Renewable Energy? safety concerns and waste disposal prob-
lems, the United States will retire much of
Renewable energy uses energy sources its nuclear capacity by 2020. In the mean-
that are continually replenished by time, the nation’s energy needs are
nature—the sun, the wind, water, the
expected to grow by 33 percent during the
Earth’s heat, and plants. Renewable
next 20 years. Renewable energy can help
energy technologies turn these fuels into
fill the gap.
usable forms of energy—most often elec-
tricity, but also heat, chemicals, or
Even if we had an unlimited supply of fos-
mechanical power.
sil fuels, using renewable energy is better
for the environment. We often call renew-
Why Use Renewable Energy? able energy technologies “clean” or
Today we primarily use fossil fuels to heat “green” because they produce few if any
and power our homes and fuel our cars. pollutants. Burning fossil fuels, however,
It’s convenient to use coal, oil, and natural sends greenhouse gases into the atmos-
gas for meeting our energy needs, but we phere, trapping the sun’s heat and con-
have a limited supply of these fuels on the tributing to global warming. Climate
Earth. We’re using them much more scientists generally agree that the Earth’s
rapidly than they are being created. Even- average temperature has risen in the past
tually, they will run out. And because of century. If this trend continues, sea levels
will rise, and scientists
predict that floods,
heat waves, droughts,
and other extreme
weather conditions
could occur more often.

Other pollutants are

released into the air,
soil, and water when
fossil fuels are burned.
These pollutants take a
dramatic toll on the
National Park Service, NREL/PIX04924

environment—and on
humans. Air pollution
contributes to diseases
like asthma. Acid rain
from sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen oxides
harms plants and fish.
Nitrogen oxides also
contribute to smog.
A PV-system at the Pinnacles National Monument in California
eliminates a $20,000 annual fuel bill for a diesel generator that pro-
duced each year 143 tons of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas.

NT OF
ME EN
RT
This document was produced for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a DOE national laboratory. The
A

ER
DEP

GY

document was produced by the Information and Outreach Program at NREL for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Energy Efficiency
I CA
U N IT

and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC) is operated by NCI Information Systems, Inc., for NREL / DOE. The statements contained herein are based on
information known to EREC and NREL at the time of printing. No recommendation or endorsement of any product or service is implied if mentioned by EREC.
ER
ED

ST A
AT E S OF
Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste
 Renewable energy will also help us Bioenergy
develop energy independence and secu-
rity. The United States imports more than Bioenergy is the energy derived from bio-
50 percent of its oil, up from 34 percent in mass (organic matter), such as plants. If
1973. Replacing some of our petroleum you’ve ever burned wood in a fireplace or
with fuels made from plant matter, for campfire, you’ve used bioenergy. But we
example, could save money and don’t get all of our biomass resources
strengthen our energy security. directly from trees or other plants. Many
industries, such as those involved in con-
Renewable energy is plentiful, and the struction or the processing of agricultural
Hydropower is our technologies are improving all the time. products, can create large quantities of
There are many ways to use renewable unused or residual biomass, which can
most mature and energy. Most of us already use renewable serve as a bioenergy source.
energy in our daily lives.
largest source of Biopower
Hydropower After hydropower, biomass is this coun-
renewable power… try’s second-leading resource of renewable
Hydropower is our most mature and energy, accounting for more than 7,000
largest source of renewable power, pro- MW of installed capacity. Some utilities
ducing about 10 percent of the nation’s and power generating companies with
electricity. Existing hydropower capacity coal power plants have found that replac-
is about 77,000 megawatts (MW). Hydro- ing some coal with biomass is a low-cost
power plants convert the energy in flowing option to reduce undesirable emissions.
water into electricity. The most common As much as 15 percent of the coal may be
form of hydropower uses a dam on a river replaced with biomass. Biomass has less
to retain a large reservoir of water. Water is sulfur than coal. Therefore, less sulfur
released through turbines to generate dioxide, which contributes to acid rain, is
power. “Run of the river” systems, how- released into the air. Additionally, using
ever, divert water from the river and biomass in these boilers reduces nitrous
direct it through a pipeline to a turbine. oxide emissions.

Hydropower plants produce no air emis- A process called gasification—the conver-

sions but can affect water quality and sion of biomass into gas, which is burned
wildlife habitats. Therefore, hydropower in a gas turbine—is another way to gener-
plants are now being designed and oper- ate electricity. The decay of biomass in
ated to minimize impacts on the river. landfills also produces gas, mostly
Some of them are diverting a portion of methane, which can be burned in a boiler
the flow around their dams to mimic the to produce steam for electricity generation
natural flow of the river. But while this or industrial processes. Biomass can also
improves the be heated in the absence of oxygen to
wildlife’s river chemically convert it into a type of fuel oil,
habitat, it also called pyrolysis oil. Pyrolysis oil can be
reduces the power used for power generation and as a feed-
plant’s output. In stock for fuels and chemical production.
addition, fish lad-
ders and other Biofuels
approaches, such
Biomass can be converted directly into liq-
as improved tur-
uid fuels, called biofuels. Because biofuels
bines, are being
Duane Hippe, NREL/PIX04410

are easy to transport and possess high

used to assist fish
energy density, they are favored to fuel
with migration
vehicles and sometimes stationary power
and lower the
generation. The most common biofuel is
number of fish
ethanol, an alcohol made from the fermen-
killed.
tation of biomass high in carbohydrates.
The current largest source of ethanol is corn.
A small-scale hydropower system in King Cove,
Some cities use ethanol as a gasoline addi-
Alaska, provides residents in this remote area with a
less expensive source of electricity. tive to help meet air quality standards for

2
 ozone. Flex-fuel amounts to 50,000 times the energy of all
vehicles are also oil and gas resources in the world. In the
now on the market, United States, most geothermal reservoirs
which can use a are located in the western states, Alaska,
mixture of gasoline and Hawaii. GHPs, however, can be used
and ethanol, such almost anywhere.
as E85—a mixture
of 85 percent Geothermal Electricity Production

Warren Gretz, NREL/PIX04744

ethanol and 15 per- Geothermal power plants access the under-
cent gasoline. ground steam or hot water from wells
Another biofuel is drilled a mile or more into the earth. The
biodiesel, which steam or hot water is piped up from the
can be made from well to drive a conventional steam turbine,
vegetable and ani- which powers an electric generator. Typi-
This gasifier in Burlinton, Vermont, converts biomass mal fats. Biodiesel cally, the water is then returned to the
into a clean gas for electricity production can be used to fuel ground to recharge the reservoir and com-
a vehicle or as a plete the renewable energy cycle.
fuel additive to reduce emissions.
There are three types of geothermal power
Corn ethanol and biodiesel provide about plants: dry steam, flash steam, and binary
0.4 percent of the total liquid fuels market. cycle. Dry steam plants draw from reser-
To increase our available supply of biofu- voirs of steam, while both flash steam and
els, researchers are testing crop residues— binary cycle plants draw from reservoirs
such as cornstalks and leaves—wood of hot water. Flash steam plants typically
chips, food waste, grass, and even trash as use water at temperatures greater than
potential biofuel sources. 360°F. Unlike both steam and flash plants,
binary-cycle plants transfer heat from the
Biobased Products water to what’s called a working fluid.
If you’ve ever burned Biomass—corn, wheat, soybeans, wood, Therefore binary cycle plants can operate
and residues—can also be used to produce using water at lower temperatures of
wood in a fireplace chemicals and materials that we normally about 225° to 360°F.
obtain from petroleum. Industry has
or campfire, you've already begun to use cornstarch to pro-
duce commodity plastics, such as
used bioenergy. shrinkwrap, plastic eating utensils, and

Joel Renner, INEEL, NREL/PIX07658

even car bumpers. Commercial develop-
ment is underway to make thermoset
plastics, like electrical switch plate covers,
from wood residues.

Geothermal Energy
The Earth’s core, 4,000 miles below the sur-
face, can reach temperatures of 9000° F. The Steamboat Hills geothermal power plant
This heat—geothermal energy—flows out- in Steamboat Springs, Nevada has an electric-
ity generation capacity of 13.5 MW.
ward from the core, heating the surround-
ing area, which can form underground
reservoirs of hot water and steam. These All of the U.S. geothermal power plants
reservoirs can be tapped for a variety of are in California, Nevada, Utah, and
uses, such as to generate electricity or heat Hawaii. Altogether about 2800 MW of
buildings. By using geothermal heat geothermal electric capacity is produced
pumps (GHPs), we can even take advan- annually in this country.
tage of the shallow ground’s stable tem-
perature for heating and cooling buildings. Geothermal Direct Use
If you’ve ever soaked in a natural hot spring,
The geothermal energy potential in the you’re one of millions of people around the
uppermost 6 miles of the Earth’s crust world who has enjoyed the direct use of

3
 geothermal energy. Direct-use applications Solar Energy
require geothermal temperatures between
about 70° to 302°F—lower than those Solar technologies tap directly into the
required for electricity generation. The infinite power of the sun and use that
United States already has about 1,300 geot- energy to produce heat, light, and power.
hermal direct-use systems in operation.
Passive Solar Lighting and Heating
Altogether about In a direct-use system, a well is drilled People have used the sun to heat and light
into a geothermal reservoir, which pro- their homes for centuries. Ancient Native
2800 MW of vides a steady stream of hot water. Some Americans built their dwellings directly
systems use the water directly, but most into south-facing cliff walls because they
geothermal electric pump the water through what’s called a knew the sun travels low across the south-
heat exchanger. The heat exchanger keeps ern sky in the Northern Hemisphere dur-
capacity is produced the water separate from a working fluid ing the winter. They also knew the
(usually water or a mixture of water and massive rock of the cliff would absorb
annually in this antifreeze), which is heated by the geot- heat in winter and protect against wind
hermal water. The working fluid then and snow. At the same time, the cliff-
country. flows through piping, distributing the dwelling design blocked sunlight during
heat directly for its intended use. the summer, when the sun is higher in the
sky, keeping their dwellings cool.
The heated water or fluid can be used in a
building to replace the traditional heat The modern version of this sun-welcoming
source—often natural gas—of a boiler, fur- design is called passive solar because no
nace, and hot water heater. Some cities pumps, fans, or other mechanical devices
and towns actually have large direct-use are used. Its most basic features include
heating systems—called district heating— large, south-facing windows that fill the
that provide many buildings with heat. home with natural sunlight, and dark tile
Geothermal direct use is also used in agri- or brick floors that store the sun’s heat and
culture—such as for fish farms and to heat release it back into the home at night. In the
greenhouses—and for industrial food pro- summer, when the sun is higher in the sky,
cessing (vegetable dehydration). window overhangs block direct sunlight,
which keeps the house cool. Tile and brick
Geothermal Heat Pumps floors also remain cool during the summer.
While air temperatures can vary widely
through the seasons, the temperatures of Passive solar design combined with
the shallow ground only range from 50° to energy efficiency will go even further.
70°F depending on latitude. GHPs draw Energy-efficient features such as energy-
on this relatively stable temperature as a saving windows and appliances, along
source for heating buildings in the winter with good insulation and weatherstrip-
and keeping them cool in the summer. ping, can make a huge difference in
energy and cost savings.
Warren Gretz, NREL/PIX06537

Through underground piping, a GHP dis-

charges heat from inside a building into Solar Water Heating
the ground in the summer, much like a Solar energy can be used to heat water for
refrigerator uses electricity to keep its inte- your home or your swimming pool. Most
rior cool while releasing heat into your solar water-heating systems consist of a
kitchen. In the winter, this process is solar collector and a water storage tank.
This homeowner in Aurora, reversed; the GHP extracts heat from the
Colorado, uses a GHP to heat ground and releases it into a building. Solar water-heating systems use collectors,
and cool his home. generally mounted on a south-facing roof,
Because GHPs actually move heat between to heat either water or a heat-transfer
homes and the earth, instead of burning fluid, such as a nontoxic antifreeze. The
fuels, they operate very cleanly and effi- heated water is then stored in a water tank
ciently. In fact, GHPs are at least three times similar to one used in a conventional gas
more efficient than even the most energy- or electric water-heating system.
efficient furnaces on the market today.

4
 There are basically systems are now combined with a small

Andrew Gordon and Fox & Fowle Architects, NREL/PIX09052

three types of solar solar-electric panel to power the pump.
collectors for heat-
ing water: flat- The amount of hot water a solar water
plate, evacuated- heater produces depends on the type and
tube, and concen- size of the system, the amount of sun
trating. The most available at the site, proper installation,
common type, a and the tilt angle and orientation of the
flat-plate collector, is collectors. But if you’re currently using an
an insulated, electric water heater, solar water heating is
weatherproof box a cost-effective alternative. If you own a
containing a dark swimming pool, heating the water with
absorber plate solar collectors can also save you money.
under a transpar-
The Four Times Square Building in New York City uses ent cover. Evacu- Solar Electricity
thin-film PV panels to reduce the building’s power load ated-tube collectors
from the utility grid.
Solar electricity or photovoltaic (PV) tech-
are made up of nology converts sunlight directly into elec-
rows of parallel, transparent glass tubes. tricity. Solar electricity has been a prime
Each tube consists of a glass outer tube source of power for space vehicles since
and an inner tube, or absorber, covered the inception of the space program. It has
with a coating that absorbs solar energy also been used to power small electronics
but inhibits heat loss. Concentrating collec- and rural and agricultural applications for
tors for residential applications are usually three decades. During the last decade, a
parabolic-shaped mirrors (like a trough) strong solar electric market has emerged
that concentrate the sun’s energy on an for powering urban grid-connected homes
absorber tube called a receiver that runs and buildings as a result of advances in
along the axis of the mirrored trough and solar technology along with global
contains a heat-transfer fluid. changes in electric industry restructuring.

All three types of collectors heat water by Although many types of solar electric sys-
circulating household water or a heat-trans- tems are available today, they all consist of
fer fluid such as a nontoxic antifreeze from basically three main items: modules that
Passive solar building the collector to the water storage tanks. Col- convert sunlight into electricity; inverters
lectors do this either passively or actively. that convert that electricity into alternat-
techniques turn ing current so it can be used by most
Passive solar water-heating systems use household appliances; and possibly or
homes into huge natural convection or household water sometimes batteries that store excess elec-
pressure to circulate water through a solar tricity produced by the system. The
solar collectors. collector to a storage tank. They have no remainder of the system comprises equip-
electric components that could break, a ment such as wiring, circuit breakers, and
feature that generally makes them more support structures.
reliable, easier to maintain, and possibly
longer lasting than active systems. Today’s modules can be built into glass
skylights and walls. Some modules resem-
An active system uses an electric pump to ble traditional roof shingles, but they gen-
circulate water or nontoxic antifreeze erate electricity, and some come with
through the system. Active systems are built-in inverters. The solar modules avail-
usually more expensive than passive sys- able today are more efficient and versatile
tems, but they are also more efficient. than ever before.
Active systems also can be easier to retrofit
than passive systems because their storage In over 30 states, any additional power
tanks do not need to be installed above or produced by a PV system, which is not
close to the collectors. Also, the moving being used by a home or building, can be
water in the system will not freeze in cold fed back to the electric grid through a
climates. But because these systems use process known as net metering. Net meter-
electricity, they will not function in a ing allows electricity customers to pay
power outage. That’s why many active only for their “net” electricity, or the

5
 amount of power consumed from their mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto the
utility minus the power generated by their top of a tower, where a receiver sits.
PV system. This metering arrangement Molten salt flowing through the receiver is
allows consumers to realize full retail heated by the concentrated sunlight. The
value for 100 percent of the PV energy salt’s heat is turned into electricity by a
produced by their systems. conventional steam generator. Parabolic-
trough systems concentrate the sun’s
Grid-connected PV systems do not require energy through long, parabolic-shaped
batteries. However, some grid connected mirrors. Sunlight is focused on a pipe
systems use them for emergency backup filled with oil that runs down the axis of
power. And of course in remote areas, solar the trough. When the oil gets hot, it is
electricity is often a economic alternative to used to boil water in a conventional steam
expensive distribution line extensions generator to produce electricity. A
incurred by a customer first connecting to dish/engine system uses a mirrored dish
the utility grid. Electricity produced by (similar in size to a large satellite dish).
solar electric systems in remote locations is The dish-shaped surface focuses and con-
stored in batteries. Batteries will usually centrates the sun’s heat onto a receiver at
store electricity produced by a solar- the focal point of the dish (above and cen-
electric system for up to three days. ter of the collectors). The receiver absorbs
the sun’s heat and transfers it to a fluid
What type of system to purchase will within an engine, where the heat causes
depend on the energy-efficiency of your the fluid to expand against a piston to pro-
Bill Timmerman, NREL/PIX08982

home, your home’s location, and your duce mechanical power. The mechanical
budget. Before you size your system, try power is then used to run a generator or
reducing energy demand through energy- alternator to produce electricity.
efficient measures. Purchasing energy-sav-
ing appliances and lights, for example, will Concentrating solar technologies can be
reduce your electrical demand and allow used to generate electricity for a variety of
you to purchase a smaller solar-electric applications, ranging from remote power
This dish/Stirling solar system to meet your energy needs or get systems as small as a few kilowatts (kW) up
power system in Arizona is
capable of producing 25 kW more value from a larger system. Energy to grid-connected applications of 200 MW
of electricity. efficiency allows you to start small and or more. A 354-MW power plant in South-
then add on as your energy needs increase. ern California, which consists of nine trough
power plants, meets the energy needs of
Solar Thermal Electricity more than 350,000 people and is the
Unlike solar-electric systems that convert world’s largest solar energy power plant.
sunlight into electricity, solar thermal elec-
tric systems convert the sun’s heat into Wind Energy
electricity. This technology is used primar- For hundreds of years, people have used
ily in large-scale power plants for power- windmills to harness the wind’s energy.
ing cities and communities, especially in Today’s wind turbines, which operate dif-
Wind energy has been the Southwest where consistent hours of ferently from windmills, are a much more
sunlight are greater than other parts of the efficient technology.
the fastest growing United States.
Wind turbine technology may look simple:
source of energy since Concentrating solar power (CSP) tech- the wind spins turbine blades around a
nologies convert solar energy into electric- central hub; the hub is connected to a shaft,
1990… ity by using mirrors to focus sunlight onto which powers a generator to make electric-
a component called a receiver. The ity. However, turbines are highly sophisti-
receiver transfers the heat to a conven- cated power systems that capture the wind’s
tional engine-generator—such as a steam energy by means of new blade designs or
turbine—that generates electricity. airfoils. Modern, mechanical drive systems,
combined with advanced generators, con-
There are three types of CSP systems: vert that energy into electricity.
power towers (central receivers), parabolic
troughs, and dish/engine systems. A Wind turbines that provide electricity to
power tower system uses a large field of the utility grid range in size from 50 kW to

6
 1 or 2 MW. Large, simplicity, it doesn’t occur naturally as a
utility-scale pro- gas on the Earth.
jects can have hun-
dreds of turbines Today, industry produces more than 4 tril-
spread over many lion cubic feet of hydrogen annually. Most

Green Mountain Power Corporation, NREL/PIX05768

acres of land. of this hydrogen is produced through a
Small turbines, process called reforming, which involves
below 50 kW, are the application of heat to separate hydro-
used to charge bat- gen from carbon. Researchers are develop-
teries, electrify ing highly efficient, advanced reformers to
homes, pump produce hydrogen from natural gas for
water for farms what’s called Proton Exchange Membrane
and ranches, and fuel cells.
power remote
telecommunica- You can think of fuel cells as batteries that
tions equipment. never lose their charge. Today, hydrogen
The 6-MW Green Mountain power plant in Searsburg, Wind turbines can fuel cells offer tremendous potential to
Vermont, consists of eleven 550-kW wind turbines. also be placed in produce electrical power for distributed
the shallow water energy systems and vehicles. In the future,
near a coastline if open land is limited, hydrogen could join electricity as an
such as in Europe, and/or to take advan- important “energy carrier”: storing, mov-
tage of strong, offshore winds. ing, and delivering energy in a usable form
to consumers. Renewable energy sources,
Wind energy has been the fastest growing like the sun, can’t produce energy all the
source of energy in the world since 1990, time. But hydrogen can store the renew-
increasing at an average rate of over 25 able energy produced until it’s needed.
percent per year. It’s a trend driven largely
Hydrogen is high in by dramatic improvements in wind tech- Eventually, researchers would like to
nology. Currently, wind energy capacity directly produce hydrogen from water
energy, yet its use as amounts to about 2500 MW in the United using solar, wind, and biomass and bio-
States. Good wind areas, which cover 6 logical technologies.
a fuel produces water percent of the contiguous U.S. land area,
could supply more than one and a half Ocean Energy
as the only emission. times the 1993 electricity consumption of
The ocean can produce two types of energy:
the entire country.
thermal energy from the sun’s heat, and
mechanical energy from the tides and waves.
California now has the largest number of
installed turbines. Many turbines are also
Ocean thermal energy can be used for
being installed across the Great Plains,
many applications, including electricity
reaching from Montana east to Minnesota
generation. Electricity conversion systems
and south through Texas, to take advantage
use either the warm surface water or boil
of its vast wind resource. North Dakota
the seawater to turn a turbine, which acti-
alone has enough wind to supply 36 percent
vates a generator.
of the total 1990 electricity consumption of
the lower 48 states. Hawaii, Iowa, Min-
The electricity conversion of both tidal
nesota, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wiscon-
and wave energy usually involves
sin, and Wyoming are among states where
mechanical devices. A dam is typically
wind energy use is rapidly increasing.
used to convert tidal energy into electric-
NASA, NREL/PIX03814

ity by forcing the water through turbines,

Hydrogen activating a generator. Meanwhile, wave
Hydrogen is high in energy, yet its use as a energy uses mechanical power to directly
fuel produces water as the only emission. activate a generator, or to transfer to a
Hydrogen is the universe’s most abundant working fluid, water, or air, which then
NASA uses liquid hydrogen element and also its simplest. A hydrogen drives a turbine/generator.
to launch its space shuttles atom consists of only one proton and
and hydrogen fuel cells to one electron. Despite its abundance and Most of the research and development in
provide them with electricity ocean energy is happening in Europe.

7
Resources
The following are sources of additional information on Clean Energy Basics
renewable energy. The list is not exhaustive, nor does the NREL
mention of any resource constitute a recommendation or Web site: www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/
endorsement. Provides basic information on renewable energy technologies,
including specific links for homeowners, small business own-
Ask an Energy Expert ers, students, and teachers.
DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Clearinghouse (EREC) European Renewable Energy Exchange (EuroREX)
P.O. Box 3048 Web site: www.eurorex.com
Merrifield, VA 22116 Features information and news on renewable energy technol-
Phone: 1-800-DOE-EREC (363-3732) ogy developments in Europe and around the world.
TDD: 1-800-273-2957
Fax: (703) 893-0400 Planet Energy—The Renewable Energy Trail
E-mail: doe.erec@nciinc.com United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry
Online submittal form: www.eren.doe.gov/menus/ Web site: www.dti.gov.uk/renewable/ed_pack/
energyex.html index.html
Consumer Energy Information Web site: www.eren.doe. Specifically gears its information for students and teachers,
gov/consumerinfo/ from grade school through high school.
Energy experts at EREC provide free general and technical
information to the public on many topics and technologies per-
Solstice
taining to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable
Technology (CREST)
DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Web site: http://solstice.crest.org
Network (EREN) Provides an online source of information on renewable energy
Web site: www.eren.doe.gov and technology development.
Your comprehensive online resource for DOE’s energy effi-
ciency and renewable energy information. Further Reading
Achieving Energy Independence—One Step at a Time, J.
Organizations Yago, Dunimis Technology, 1999, 190 pp.
Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(CEERT) Charging Ahead: The Business of Renewable Energy and
1100 Eleventh St., Suite 311 What It Means for America, J. Berger and L. Thurow, Uni-
Sacramento, CA 95814 versity of California Press, 1998, 416 pp.
Phone (916) 442-7785; Fax (916) 447-2940 Clean Energy Choices: Tips on Buying and Using Renewable
E-mail: info@ceert.org Energy at Home, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and
Web site: www.cleanpower.org Renewable Energy, 2000, 48 pp. Print copy available
Promotes the development of renewable energy technologies from EREC (see “Ask an Energy Expert” above), and a
and resources. PDF is available at www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/
27684.pdf.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
1617 Cole Blvd. The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: The Complete Guide
Golden, CO 80401 to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living, D.
Web site: www.nrel.gov Pratt ed., Real Goods, 1999, 562 pp.
DOE-lab devoted to researching and developing renewable
energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP)

1612 K St. NW, Suite 202
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 293-2898; Fax: (202) 293-5857
Web site: www.repp.org
Works to advance renewable energy technologies.

Web Sites
CADDET Renewable Energy
Web site: www.caddet-re.org
Provides technical information on renewable energy projects
and technologies from around the world.