To help meet the nation's needs for clean energy, inexpensive alternative fuels, and a healthy environment, researchers at the Center for Basic Sciences at NREL are improving our understanding of the science behind renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. In work performed for the DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences Program, NREL executes research in three areas — materials sciences, chemical sciences, and energy biosciences.
Material Sciences
This program researches the structural, optical, electrical, and defect properties of some exciting new semiconductors and related materials for photovoltaic and other energy-related applications by using state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental techniques.
Chemical Sciences
These projects advance the basic understanding of the relevant science in chemistry, photochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, catalysis, materials chemistry, nanostructured materials, and semiconductor physics and chemistry that supports evolving solar photochemical conversion technologies. Efforts also are made to integrate advances in basic chemical sciences into relevant technology-development activities.
Energy Biosciences
The goal of this program is to advance the basic understanding of bacterial and plant photosynthesis (including relevant metabolic pathways), and to apply that knowledge to the development of renewable fuels (including hydrogen), chemicals, and materials, as well as to address environmental problems.
NREL supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences Program.
Contact Satyen Deb with questions regarding NREL's Center for Basic Sciences.
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