The Renewable Energy Research Center (RENRC) is the research unit engaged in R&D of renewable energy technologies in FREA. With the start of AIST’s 5th Medium- and Long-term Plan from April 1, 2020, two teams have joined to form 9 research teams in RENRC, namely; Energy Network, Hydrogen Energy Carrier, H2 and Heat Utilization System, Wind Power, Photovoltaic Power, Photovoltaic System and Application, ‘Photovoltaic Calibration, Standards and Measurement’, Geothermal Energy, and Shallow Geothermal and Hydrogeology. We also have a Cooperative Research Laboratory called Shimizu-AIST Zero Emission Hydrogen town. From core elemental technology to system integrations, from basic research to applications, we are working on quite wide aspect of R&D in renewable energy.
To quickly make the renewable energy to be a sure and major power source, we are focusing the R&D as follows: Further upgrading and O&M technology development, Properly promoting the deployment by R&D and database construction, and Next generation energy system to realize zero-emission. As an international innovation hub for renewable energy, RENRC promotes intimate collaboration with domestic and international research organizations. We also contribute to reconstruct the disaster areas including Fukushima pref. by developing the industrial clustering and human resources.