GOLDEN, Colorado, US, May 23, 2007.
The prime minister of Sweden has toured the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States.
Fredrik Reinfeldt visited the Department of Energy laboratory for tours of the research facilities and for demonstrations on solar, wind, biofuels and hybrid vehicles. The visit concluded a tour of the U.S. which included a meeting with President George Bush to discuss bilateral cooperation in renewables as well as climate change and trade.
“I thank the Prime Minister for visiting the nation's premier lab for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development,” said energy secretary Samuel Bodman. “Like the United States, Sweden has set a bold vision for its energy policy. We look forward to working with and learning from Sweden to help achieve a cleaner and more secure energy future.”
“It is a great opportunity for me to visit NREL and learn more about the cutting edge technologies in energy efficiency and renewable energy,” said Reinfeldt. “I hope to see more cooperation between Sweden and the U.S. on research and innovation in these fields.”
Tours included NREL's Alternative Fuels User Facility which houses the bioethanol pilot plant and ethanol processing facilities. The AFUF allows users to test refining and processing techniques on a small scale as a first step toward commercialisation.
The tour also included reviews of NREL's work on green power generation facilities including wind power and the Solar America Initiative which seeks to reduce the cost of generation from solar PV, making it cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015.
The Swedish political leader also received a briefing on NREL's research on zero-energy homes. Through a combination of energy efficient technologies and on-site power generation from solar, zero-energy homes will produce as much energy as they consume, and NREL research is developing technologies and designs for this concept.
Reinfeldt toured NREL's Science & Technology Facility, recently designated as one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly places to work, according to the U.S. Green Buildings Council. He was accompanied by DOE’s assistant secretary for renewables Alexander Karsner.
In his visit with President Bush, the two leaders discussed Afghanistan, Kosovo, Darfur and enhancing cooperation on alternative energy, the White House noted.
