Local Renewable Energy: Solar

Local Renewable Energy Benefits and Resources | General Renewable Energy | Biomass/Biogas | Solar | Wind

PV Watts Calculator

NREL's PVWatts™ calculator determines the energy production and cost savings of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, installers, manufacturers, and researchers to easily develop estimates of the performance of hypothetical PV installations.

Solar Energy Resources for Government Officials

The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office offers resources for state and local government officials.

Solar Power Purchase Agreements

A Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA) is a financial arrangement in which a third-party developer owns, operates, and maintains a photovoltaic (PV) system, and a customer hosts the system on its property and purchases the system's electric output for a predetermined period. EPA's Green Power Partnership provides information on SPPAs, including how they are structured, and the benefits and challenges of implementing them.

A Guide to Community Solar

The U.S. Department of Energy’s online publication A Guide to Community Solar (pdf) (2.9 MB) is designed as a resource for those who want to develop community solar projects, from community organizers or solar energy advocates to government officials or utility managers.

Toolbox for Renewable Energy Project Development

EPA's Green Power Partnership is working with stakeholders to identify economic and administrative barriers in the deployment of on-site renewable energy projects. The toolbox website examines six key issues that have important implications for developing on-site solar projects, identifies key resources, and addresses major questions and hurdles sustainability experts have identified as information gaps or obstacles in their development of new on-site solar projects.

Solar Power in Your Community

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created the Solar Power in Your Community guidebook, which contains case studies with approaches to reduce market barriers that have been field tested in cities and counties around the country.

Installed Price of Photovoltaics in the U.S.

Tracking the Sun: The Installed Price of Residential and Non-Residential Photovoltaic Systems in the United States summarizes trends in the installed price of grid-connected PV systems in the United States.