NREL

• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a partner with the DOE in developing wind energy. This organization is a national laboratory for the DOE and designs wind turbines to be used to accomplish the goals of the wind energy program.
  
  

Technology Development

• Researching, building, testing and refining wind turbine designs is a primary objective for the NREL. Turbines are also created to be cost-effective and high performance energy producers.
  
  

Blade Testing

• Developing wind turbines depends on testing the blades for the designing of the turbine, reducing the machine cost, reducing financial risk and ensuring the technical suitability of the turbine before mass producing the machine.
  
  

Turbine Sizes

• High-wind testing sites are dwindling and lower wind-speed turbines are being developed. These types of wind machines are designed as small and mid-sized turbines and each size is independently developed for cost effectiveness within a particular area.
  
  

Components

• Advance blades and drive train components are the focus of research by the NREL for the development of future wind turbine technology. Reducing cost, evaluating advanced concepts and component testing are some of the ways in which development for wind turbines is being accomplished.