Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory

What Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory does

Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) is a research, development, and community outreach facility at the University of California, Berkeley, housed within the Energy and Resources Group and the Department of Nuclear Engineering. The lab focuses on designing, testing, and disseminating renewable and appropriate energy systems, with a mission to advance environmentally sustainable development in both industrialized and developing nations. RAEL's core technical outputs are open-source research tools, most notably the SWITCH model for long-term power system optimization and the MapRE framework for multicriteria renewable energy siting, both used by researchers and policymakers across the US, China, Africa, Latin America, and beyond. The lab also produces empirical work on green jobs, household energy and health, solar energy potential, and grid integration for power pools.

RAEL is led by Professor Daniel Kammen and operates as an interdisciplinary collaboration involving faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, visiting scholars, and alumni. The lab's primary customer segments are government agencies and policymakers, academic and research institutions, international development organizations (including USAID and the World Bank), and graduate trainees. Its work has demonstrably influenced policy decisions, including contributing to the moratorium on the Baram Dam in Sarawak, Malaysia in 2015.

The lab's business model is grant-funded academic research rather than commercial sales. RAEL does not sell products or services; its revenues derive from research grants from government agencies (NSF, DOE, USAID), foundations, and international organizations, supplemented by university support. Research outputs are disseminated freely through peer-reviewed publications, open-source software distribution, conference participation, and media coverage, with no disclosed pricing model or commercial go-to-market motion.

Name

Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory

Legal name

Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory

Website

https://rael.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RAEL is a UC Berkeley research laboratory that designs, tests, and disseminates renewable energy systems and open-source modeling tools (SWITCH, MapRE) for policymakers, academic institutions, and international development organizations across global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Research and Policy Analysis

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Siting, Resource Assessment & Environmental Tech R&D (Remote Sensing, Wake Modeling, Wildlife Mitigation) (EUAMAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Policy Interface for Renewables (ETS/Offsets/Carbon Taxes) (EUAMANAI), Hosting Capacity Analysis (HCA) & DER Impact Studies (EUADAGAD), Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs (EUAMAJAH), Permitting, Siting & Environmental Impact (EIA/NEPA) Advisory (EUAMANAB)

Keywords

• Renewable energy research
• Energy systems modeling
• Climate policy analysis
• Power system planning
• Energy access research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: RAEL operates primarily as an academic research laboratory at UC Berkeley, funded through research grants from government agencies, foundations, and international organizations. The lab receives funding for specific research projects from entities such as NSF, DOE, USAID, and bilateral cooperation programs.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RAEL designs, tests, and disseminates renewable and appropriate energy systems through applied research projects. The lab produces open-source energy modeling tools (SWITCH, MapRE), policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications, and community-focused energy access initiatives. Outputs are funded via research grants and disseminated freely to governments, researchers, and international development partners rather than sold as commercial products.

Product overview

RAEL (Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory) is a research, development, project implementation, and community outreach facility at UC Berkeley. It is not a product company but rather an academic research laboratory focused on designing, testing, and disseminating renewable and appropriate energy systems. RAEL's portfolio consists primarily of research projects including energy modeling tools (SWITCH, MapRE), geographic and sector-specific studies (Green Jobs analysis, Kosovo/Southeast Europe energy planning, solar energy potential assessment), and community-focused initiatives (Human Needs Project in Kibera, Eco-Block Project). These are research outputs, publications, and educational resources rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Jobs Modeling and Analysis Empirical modeling project that estimates job creation capacity of the energy industry across US states based on surveys of actual hiring, direct job creation in energy sub-sectors, and proposed energy regulations.
• Brighter than Sunshine: Global Solar Energy Potential Research project examining solar energy systems' potential to address climate change, energy access, and food system sustainability, including environmental co-benefits, energy-food-water nexus, and land-use analysis.
• Sustainable Energy for Kosovo and Southeast Europe Assessment of opportunities for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart systems integration as a path away from polluting energy systems in Kosovo and Southeast Europe.
• Household Energy, Cookstoves and Health Research addressing indoor air pollution from biomass fuels in developing nations and the health impacts of traditional cookstoves, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• SWITCH Energy Modeling Platform Open-source optimization model used for long-term power system planning, determining optimal investments in generation and transmission assets across various regions including China, Chile, Mexico, California, and East Africa.
• MapRE (Multicriteria Analysis for Planning Renewable Energy) Multicriteria framework to map and characterize solar and wind energy zones in African countries, evaluating economic competitiveness and environmental impact of renewable resources to identify low-cost, low-impact 'no-regrets' options.
• The Eco-Block Project Block-scale solution for low-carbon, clean-air urban development through integrated energy, water, and wastewater treatment retrofits for neighborhoods.
• Human Needs Project / Kibera Town Center Clean energy mini-grid project in Kibera, Kenya providing basic services (water, sanitation, showers, laundry) and empowerment services (business training, micro-credit, WiFi) to over 800 people daily.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research contributed to the moratorium on the Baram Dam in Sarawak, Malaysia (2015)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Energy and Resources Group (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAEL is housed within and operates in close collaboration with the Energy and Resources Group (ERG) at UC Berkeley, sharing faculty, students, and research facilities. ERG is an interdisciplinary graduate program focused on energy and environmental issues.
• Goldman School of Public Policy (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the Goldman School of Public Policy on energy policy research and analysis, with Professor Kammen holding joint appointments.
• Department of Nuclear Engineering (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAEL is affiliated with the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley, with Professor Kammen holding a joint appointment.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with LBNL on various energy research projects including the SWITCH model development, transportation sustainability research, and power system analysis.
• Tsinghua UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership involving joint research on China's power sector decarbonization, health impacts of energy choices, and student exchanges. Multiple visiting students and researchers from Tsinghua work in RAEL.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Energy Development in Island Nations initiative, Caribbean energy policy analysis, and various renewable energy assessments for islands.
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with USAID on energy access and development projects, including support for energy research in developing countries and capacity building initiatives.
• European Energy Storage AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to examine market opportunities and carbon benefits of energy storage technology installation as part of Chinese power system modeling.
• East African Power PoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on grid integration studies and optimization modeling for the East African Power Pool consortium of utilities.
• Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (Uganda)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with Uganda's government ministry on the Spotlight Kampala project, a multi-institutional research collaboration on energy access in informal urban communities.
• Human Needs ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAEL supports the Human Needs Project's Kibera Town Center in Kenya, with Professor Kammen serving as CTO. The project provides basic services powered by clean energy to over 800 people per day.
• Fulbright NEXUS ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAEL participates in the Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research (NEXUS) Program, bringing together researchers from the US, Brazil, and Western Hemisphere nations for interdisciplinary energy research.
• South African Power PoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the Southern African Power Pool on strategic siting and regional grid interconnection studies for low-carbon energy futures.
• UCL Institute for Sustainable ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNadia Ameli, a former RAEL PhD researcher, leads the finance research area of the GREEN-WIN project at UCL, focusing on climate and sustainability finance policies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): IRENA is an intergovernmental organization supporting countries in their transition to sustainable energy. Like RAEL, it produces global renewable energy analysis, resource assessments, and policy guidance, particularly for developing nations.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a global research organization that produces data-driven analysis on climate, energy, and sustainability. Its work on energy transition pathways and renewable energy deployment is methodologically similar to RAEL's policy-focused research outputs.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): NREL is the US Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research. RAEL has collaborated with NREL on Caribbean energy initiatives and other projects, making it a direct institutional peer for energy systems modeling and renewable deployment research.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): EPRI conducts collaborative research on electricity generation, delivery, and use, with significant work on renewable integration and grid planning. Its grid modeling and decarbonization analysis closely parallels RAEL's power system planning research.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: LBNL is a DOE national laboratory managed by UC Berkeley with substantial energy research programs. RAEL collaborates directly with LBNL on SWITCH model development and transportation sustainability research, making it a close institutional and methodological peer.

Direct peers

• MIT Energy Initiative: MIT Energy Initiative conducts interdisciplinary energy research across technology, policy, and economics at a major research university. Like RAEL, it combines academic rigor with industry and policy engagement on decarbonization and energy access, making it a highly comparable university-based energy research peer.
• Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation: The Scott Institute advances energy research through interdisciplinary teams at a major research university. Like RAEL, it focuses on bridging technical, economic, and policy dimensions of energy transition with strong industry and government partnerships.
• Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy: Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy pursues interdisciplinary research on sustainable energy systems, technology innovation, and policy. Like RAEL, it is housed within a top-tier university and focuses on clean energy transition research with strong policy engagement.
• Princeton ZERO Lab: Princeton ZERO Lab focuses on rapid decarbonization pathways and energy systems modeling, closely aligned with RAEL's SWITCH-based power system planning work. Both labs produce open-source modeling tools and evidence-based policy analysis on clean energy transitions.

Emerging players

• Climate Central: Climate Central is a research and communications organization that produces climate and energy research for policymakers and the public. While more focused on climate communications, it shares RAEL's emphasis on translating research into policy and public impact.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rael-berkeley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory