The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is celebrating 40 years of innovation and ground-breaking research. Funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and located in Golden, Colorado, the lab is driving a range of technological advancements that have helped establish the United States as a leader in clean energy. Below are seven surprising milestones that you probably didn’t know came from NREL since 1977.      

These achievements represent just a few of the many contributions that NREL has made to our nation’s technological leadership over the past four decades. Learn more about the legacy of the lab’s work.