Resource Library

This issue summary for the Texas Clean Energy Coalition makes the case for mandatory energy use reductions in state facilities to save taxpayer money, as according to the organization's estimations, a 5% energy reduction by Texas state agencies would equal over $10 million in energy savings. Its policy recommendations include mandatory energy performance disclosure and consistency in energy reduction requirements.

The purpose of this report is to provide state lawmakers and regulators, electric utilities, the solar industry, and other energy stakeholders with timely, accurate, and unbiased updates on how states are choosing to study, adopt, implement, amend , or discontinue policies associated with distributed solar photovoltaics (PV). This report catalogues proposed and enacted legislative, regulatory policy, and rate design changes affecting the value proposition of distributed solar PV during the most recent quarter, with an emphasis on the residential sector. The 50 States of Solar provides regular quarterly updates of solar policy developments, keeping stakeholders informed and up to date on a timely basis. This special year-end version of the report also highlights the key trends and major actions of the 2015 calendar year, providing insights and analysis on the solar policy environment.

This fact sheet provides an overview of water efficiency and conservation standards for indoor fixtures and landscape irrigation, and makes the case for water efficiency standards as a tool to conserve groundwater. Recommendations for adopting water efficiency standards into local building code can be found on page 7.

This case study details the impact and lessons learned from the Energy Savers Program, which offered free energy audits, technical support, and retrofit financing for building owners of affordable, multi-family residential buildings in Cook and Lake Counties.

The Open PV Project is a collaborative effort between government, industry, and the public that is compiling a comprehensive database of solar PV installation data for the United States. Data for the project are voluntarily contributed and actively maintained by a variety of sources including utilities, installers, and the general public to provide an evolving, up-to-date snapshot of the US solar power market. Visit the source link below to access the program website.

Greywater reuse offers a variety of opportunities and challenges. And greywater technologies, uses, and policies vary widely around the world. This paper provides a broad overview of the state of greywater implementation and policy, with a special emphasis on the Middle East. It examines the potential of greywater to reduce the water and energy intensity of water uses, and it analyzes key issues that must be addressed for greywater to be accepted, and implemented, at larger scales.

This case study is intended to assist public agencies in the process of organizing and executing a collaborative purchase of solar PV systems. This proven model is being implemented across the country for local government, education, and special district facilities to decrease installation and administrative costs.

Electricity storage technologies have had limited deployment in the U.S. power grid, despite the multiple benefits they can provide. One of the challenges faced by storage developers is quantifying their value, especially considering benefits that may not be fully captured within U.S. electricity markets.This analysis used a commercial grid simulation tool to evaluate several operational benefits of electricity storage, including load-leveling, spinning contingency reserves, and regulation reserves. Overall, the results followed previous analyses that demonstrate relatively low value for load-leveling but greater value for provision of reserve services.

The Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center provides connections, resources, and business support for entrepreneurs and high-potential technology companies in the central San Joaquin Valley focusing on water, energy, and agriculture. The WET Center’s vision is to have a thriving water, energy and agriculture technology industry in the central San Joaquin Valley creating a strong economic base with high-paying knowledge-based career. The WET Center is supported in part by the Central Valley Business Incubator.

An excerpt from "Introduction to the Net Energy Metering Cost Effectiveness Evaluation," that address the incentives of Time-of-Use metering.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E) successfully tested a new time-based rate that provided participants with varied prices in order to induce a change in their patterns of electricity consumption. As a result, OG&E is rolling out the rate to about 20% of their customers (120,000) by 2016.

Title 24 Express, a service of Energy Performance Services, offers a comprehensive online guide to Title 24 energy standards for buildings, part 6 of the California Code of Regulations. The website details compliance requirements for each specified building technology area.

California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards address the energy efficiency of new (and altered) homes and commercial buildings and are updated on an approximate three-year cycle. The 2013 Standards improve upon the 2008 Standards, and include updates to the energy efficiency divisions of the California Green Building Code Standards, also known as Title 24.

This toolkit highlights actions that local governments can take to prepare for wider adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in their community. It is intended to enhance local planning efforts while recognizing that each community will be starting from a different level of readiness. It offers tangible best practices examples and case studies from communities and stakeholders throughout California and abroad. It conveys the varying approaches communities can pursue to become EV ready, depending on local needs and priorities.

The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 147: Toolkit for Estimating Demand for Rural Intercity Bus Services provides a sketch-planning guide and supporting CD-ROM–based tools that can be used to forecast demand for rural intercity bus services. The tools use several methods to estimate demand, and the report describes key considerations when estimating such demand. The CD-ROM is included with the print version of the report and is also available for download from TRB’s website as an ISO image.

The checklist is a comprehensives step-by-step list that standardizes the requirements for solar PV and SWH projects. It summarizes the minimum code requirements of the International Residential Code (IRC), National Electrical Code (NEC), as well as the Fountain Hills Zoning Ordinance.

Now in its eighth edition, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)'s Tracking the Sun report series is dedicated to summarizing trends in the installed price of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States. The present report focuses on residential and nonresidential systems installed through year-end 2014, with preliminary trends for the first half of 2015. Findings suggest that reductions in soft costs have largely been driving the decline in costs since 2012.

In 2001, the City of Portland replaced most of its incandescent traffic signal lights with highly efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs). Using an innovative leasing arrangement to amortize the investment costs, Portland’s Signal and Street Lighting Division was able to replace 13,382 red and green existing incandescent lamps with LEDS. This case study summarizes the cost, financing, and benefits of the project, as well as lessons learned.

This paper discusses the results of a survey of commissioning providers, owners, and contractors, to determine gaps in available training topics. It goes on to describe the need for training also in terms of audience, learning mode, scope and business model. These factors are used to describe several training activities that are currently underway and proposed. The plans of a state-wide commissioning industry collaborative to fill the gaps in available training are also presented.

The City of Vancouver has established voluntary and incentive-based provisions that may be applied to parcels located within the boundaries of the Transit Overlay District to encourage higher densities and transit-friendly urban design. Zoning regulations create two development environments for the Transit Overlay District, one of which is oriented towards high-capacity transit and increased transit service, and another that encourages the use of alternative transportation modes and pedestrian and transit friendly development.

Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development Program provides developers with financial incentives that enhance the economic feasibility of higher-density, mixed-use projects served by transit. The program's goal is to implement the region's 2040 Growth Concept through investments in walkable neighborhoods and station areas linked by transit. The core program activity is providing funding to stimulate private development of higher-density and mixed-use projects near transit. In addition, the program invests in "urban living infrastructure" like grocery stores and other amenities, and provides technical assistance to communities and developers.

This paper proposes new design standards at various scales, according to plat species' mature expected sizes and PV array placement.

The US Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program offers funding opportunities and grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on tribal lands. Up-to-date funding opportunity announcements can be found on their webpage, along with instructions on how to apply, application content, and the criteria by which applications will be selected for funding.

This case study focuses on Tucson's participation in the Department of Energy-sponsored Solar America Cities program, which aimed to develop models for solar market development in cities around the nation, including their challenges and successes throughout the program.

This is an 8 page excerpt from the 2011 Tennessee Valley Authority Integrated Resource Plan. This appendix to the report focused specifically on renewables, providing a background of the current programs and a description of the modeling process TVA used to study the affect of adding additional RE to their generation mix.