GOLDEN, Colo. - Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman cut the ribbon to officially open the new Science & Technology Facility (S&TF) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. The 71,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is designed to help accelerate the development and commercialization of promising new energy technologies, particularly in solar, hydrogen, and building-related energy technologies.

The facility has space for 75 full-time researchers and features an 11,500-square-foot Process Development and Integration Laboratory, which will allow NREL and industry researchers to work together to develop new manufacturing processes. This cooperative research is designed to help reduce the time it takes to move new technologies from the laboratory bench to commercial manufacturing.

The S&TF is a model for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability and is designed to be NREL's first building to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The design incorporates features such as daylighting and advanced heating, ventilation, and cooling systems that are expected to reduce energy use by 41 percent compared to similar new federal buildings.