Foundational research is at the
heart of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s climate and energy story. Scientists
across this multidisciplinary U.S. Department of Energy laboratory are asking questions, designing and
running experiments, and collecting the data needed to understand
Earth’s changing climate, inform science-based decision making, and
provide the foundation for innovative clean-energy technologies.
New Frontiers of Climate
Environmental scientists at Brookhaven Lab are
investigating factors that affect Earth’s climate by probing
the fundamental building blocks of the climate system. These include
aerosols and the plant physiological processes
that sustain ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics. Our
data will improve the models used to predict long-term global
climate change and the daily atmospheric conditions that impact
renewable energy efficiency and demand.
Cleaner Fuel Sources
Brookhaven scientists are exploring a range of
clean-energy strategies to move us toward a net-zero
carbon future. Examples include rewiring plants’ biochemical
pathways to produce biobased fuels; developing catalysts that mimic
plants’ ability to capture sunlight and transform carbon dioxide and
water into fuel; and catalysts that transform carbon dioxide, waste
methane, and other raw materials into useful products.
Renewable Energy Technology
Scientists at Brookhaven are exploring a range of
ways to improve the efficiency of technologies for harnessing
renewable energy. These include developing new types of solar
cells and characterizing and enhancing their performance, better
characterizing the solar energy available for power production, and developing new superconductor-based
technologies for harnessing wind power.
Energy Storage & Grid Modernization
Developing new types of energy storage could pave
the way for integrating wind and solar power into the nation’s
energy grid and transform transportation to make use of electricity
generated by these renewable sources. Brookhaven is advancing this
vision with studies of existing batteries, by developing new
materials for future batteries, and by studying the integration of
renewable sources into real-world, grid-scale energy distribution
systems.
Energy Efficiency
From improving the efficiency of home heating
systems to studying the dispersal of pollutants in urban areas,
Brookhaven scientists are conducting research that has the potential
to save money, keep carbon out of the atmosphere, and improve human
health.
Advances in Nuclear Energy
Recognizing the important role nuclear energy
plays in providing reliable, carbon-free electricity, Brookhaven Lab
scientists are committed to research that will continue to advance
the field.