The Path to 100% renewable energy transition requires a tailored approach depending on the current energy system, weather, regulations, funding, population, energy use patterns, and land availability of a community, region or campus.

The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) offers help to local, state and tribal government and universities with specific sets of tools to create tailored solutions. NREL is under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Fact sheets, videos, webinars, reports, and research on the NREL website provide guidance for the following:

    • Market analysis
    • Disaster resiliency and recovery
    • Financial policy analysis
    • Sustainable community design
    • Strategic planning and energy management
    • Request for proposals and performance contracting
    • Training
    • Workshops

Focus on Universities One example is the set of resources for universities seeking to go solar. It provides information about purchase power agreements, financing solar deployment and advice about writing solar RFPs.

One of the case studies on the website highlights the solar journey of Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. CSU entered solar PV in 2009 with a rooftop installation on one of its teaching buildings. The school increased it solar generation so that by 2016 it ranked fifth in total installed PV capacity among U.S. universities. To read more about the decision-making process, campus engagement strategies and relationship with local, state and utility partners, click here: CSU Case Study.

What We’re Reading: “NREL: Decision Support for State, Local and Tribal Governments” as published on NREL.gov.