Research Facilities
NREL researcher evaluates catalyst activity at the Electrochemical Characterization Laboratory.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
NREL conducts hydrogen and fuel cell R&D at a variety of research facilities at our main 327-acre campus in Golden, Colorado, as well as the National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado.
Industry, government, and university partners benefit from access to our state-of-the-art facilities and specialized equipment. Learn about working with us.
Many of our hydrogen and fuel cell laboratories are housed at NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), the nation's premier facility capable of conducting integrated megawatt-scale research and development of the components and strategies needed to integrate sustainable transportation technologies with buildings and the electrical grid. The ESIF includes specialized laboratories for fuel cell development and testing, electrochemical characterization, materials fabrication and characterization, manufacturing, high-pressure component testing, safety sensor testing, fuel cell vehicle fueling and component testing, and secure data storage and processing.
Learn more about some of the specialized hydrogen and fuel cell labs at the ESIF:
- Hydrogen Infrastructure Testing and Research Facility
- National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center
- Safety Sensor Testing Laboratory
View the ESIF video on NREL's YouTube channel for a glimpse into this first-of-its-kind facility, which addresses the challenges of large-scale clean energy integration into the energy systems that power the nation.
Renewable hydrogen production R&D is also conducted at these NREL research facilities:
- Distributed Energy Resources Test Facility
- High-Flux Solar Furnace
- Photobiology Research Laboratory
- Photoelectrochemical Laboratory
- Thermochemical Users Facility
