Guides
A Guide to Building a Career in Clean Energy
Stephen Lacey, host and producer of "The Energy Gang" and "The Interchange" podcasts, released this guide on LinkedIn for individuals looking to transition to clean energy jobs.
Renewability. Sustainability. Efficiency. These three words describe the engine that will drive the economic growth in the near future and for decades to come. As the world’s economy goes, so goes its jobs market. This guidebook has been created to help readers better understand exactly what lies ahead for job seekers in a renewable, sustainable and more efficient world. If you are interested in finding a career where you can make a difference while making a living, this guidebook is for you.
A Maryland Consumer's Guide to Solar
Clean Energy for Low-Income Communities Accelerator (CELICA) Toolkit
This toolkit provides an overview of tools, resources, and models for developing low-income energy efficiency and renewable energy programs based on work in the U.S. Department of Energy’s CELICA, part of the Better Buildings Initiative Accelerators. This toolkit provides materials to help program administrators reduce energy burden for low-income communities by enhancing and expanding upon work funded through utility, state, or federal programs. These materials are the product CELICA’s 2-year partnership with over 30 stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and does not provide Energy Department-funded program guidance.
Humans played a big role in the changes to the earth’s climate over the last century, and scientists predict catastrophic problems if climate change goes unchecked. America is the second largest contributor to carbon dioxide in the world but accounts for only 4.4% of the global population, which means people in the U.S. can make great strides in the fight against climate change with the right tools, information, and resources. College is a great place to start, and there are many opportunities for involvement as a student. See what climate change experts have to say on the matter and learn more about the different ways you can get involved on campus and beyond.
DCRA 2018 Solar Permitting Guidelines
Solar in DC has shifted significantly towards commercial installations over the last two years. Because of this shift, DCRA has published an updated Solar Permitting Guidelines. This valuable resource and guide will assist homeowners, developers and the solar industry in understanding DCRA's and related agency's solar permitting processes (including Pepco and Solar Renewable Energy Credits). The new edition of the guide includes updates about the permitting process at DCRA, which has made the shift from paper plans to pure electronic permitting.
Diversity Best Practices Guide for the Solar Industry
SEIA believes that by having a more diverse workforce, the solar industry and your organizations will be enhanced through broadened recruitment pools, increased retention and a more engaged, productive and fulfilled workforce. Diversity is not a discrete issue area to be handled by the H.R. department, but is instead an active initiative that should permeate all major aspects of the organization. This guide is designed to assist solar companies with the practical application and implementation of diversity initiatives.
EnergySage Buyer's Guide: Solar Batteries
When you install a solar battery alongside a solar panel system, you can store extra solar electricity produced by your panels for later use after the sun goes down. Solar batteries provide numerous benefits and can lead to increased energy savings, especially for property owners in areas that experience time-variant electricity pricing or unfavorable solar compensation from the grid. Browse solar batteries from top manufacturers on the EnergySage Buyer’s Guide
EnergySage Buyer's Guide: Solar Inverters
Solar inverters are an essential component in any residential, commercial, or utility-scale solar energy system. Use this guide to compare solar inverter options and understand which products are best for your installation.
EnergySage Buyer's Guide: Solar Panels
Use this guide to compare solar panel options and understand which products are best for your installation.
Estimating the Health Benefits per-Kilowatt Hour of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
EPA has developed a set of values that help state and local government policymakers and other stakeholders estimate the outdoor air quality-related public health benefits of investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE/RE). These monetized values were developed using methods consistent with those EPA uses for health benefits analyses at the federal level. To learn more about the health effects included in the benefits per kilowatt hour (BPK) calculations, please see the technical report.
Homeowners Association Solar Action Guide
Everyone should have the right to go solar on their property. Some states enshrine that right with solar access laws, which prohibit local governments and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) from preventing homeowners from going solar. Unfortunately, not every state has these laws; even in some that do, HOAs may still have outdated policies that block homeowners’ solar access and propagate solar myths about aesthetics and property values. Solar United Neightbors' guide can help you overcome HOA objections to your solar installation and to provide practical advice to make your HOA solar-friendly.
How Owning a Solar System Impacts My Home Value: A Guide to Valuing Residential Solar Energy Systems
A guide to various approaches in determining the value of residential solar systems.
The Low-Income Solar Policy Guide was originally developed and launched in 2016 by nonprofits GRID Alternatives, Vote Solar, and the Center for Social Inclusion, to help drive the proposal and adoption of new low-income solar policies and programs, both as stand-alone efforts and as part of broader renewable energy programs. GRID Alternatives and Vote Solar are current contributing partners to the Guide. It is meant to be a tool for policymakers, community leaders and others who are working on solar access at the federal, state and local level.their development of new on-site solar projects.
Principles of Equitable Policy Design for Energy Storage (2019)
In December 2018, the Union of Concerned Scientists convened a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the equitable deployment of energy storage. The group—which included environmental justice and grassroots organizations, policy experts, industry, labor, consumer advocates, faith groups, and renewable energy advocates—collectively developed a set of consensus principles for equitable storage deployment. The principles—which have been signed by 26 participating organizations—are intended to help state policymakers promote energy storage, address the needs of disadvantaged communities, and avoid inadvertent harm. The stakeholders grappled with the following questions: - How can storage be deployed to reduce emissions and improve air quality? - How can storage make communities and residents more resilient to disasters and power outages? - How can storage promote local economic development and job growth? - How can storage help accelerate greater levels of renewable energy on the grid? - How can storage help reduce electricity bills? - How can policymakers ensure that communities have a seat at the table?
Solar + Storage Brief 2019: A Guide for Local Governments
This guide outlines: Benefits of solar and energy storage for the electric grid and local governments; • Uses of solar and energy storage by local governments; • How to understand the feasibility and economics of storage within a community; • Key elements to include in requests for proposals (RFPs) involving energy storage; and • Resources for communi es interested in implemen ng solar and energy storage.
Under-resourced communities face a disproportionate share of societal burdens and lack access to many of the benefits other communities enjoy. Participation in the solar economy can help ease these burdens and provide low-and middle-income households with economic relief. This report, “Solar with Justice: Strategies for Powering Up Under-Resourced Communities and Growing an Inclusive Solar Market,” aims to accelerate the implementation of solar in under-resourced communities in ways that provide meaningful, long-lasting benefits to those communities. The recommendations in the report set a path forward for increasing solar deployments that result in significant economic, equity, and environmental improvements.
SolSmart Issue Brief: Solar & Electrification, a Beneficial Partnership
Policies that encourage solar development and policies that encourage electrification can be complementary: low-cost solar power can help make electrification more cost-effective, and electrifying more services can help make solar installations more valuable. Electrification policies also open the door to discussions with the local electric utility regarding how utilities can better support communities’ solar power aspirations. This guide explains how communities can collaborate with their utilities on programs that produce complementary benefits for solar and electrification policies.
State Pollinator-Friendly Solar Initiatives
Pollinators play a critical role in the production of food and seeds. Approximately one quarter of agricultural production in the United States depends upon pollinators, predominately bees. Since 2006, bee tracking has recorded declines of 30 percent annually. Numerous species of native bees may already be extinct or at risk of extinction. Loss of habitat is one reason the number of pollinators has decreased. Many states have incentives or other programs designed to promote the deployment of solar photovoltaics (PV) to meet climate or clean energy goals. But where fields are cleared for large solar PV projects, it can be at the expense of pollinators, which depend on vegetation for habitat and food. Solar and pollinators, however, need not be at odds. Seven states – Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina, and Vermont – have enacted legislation to promote pollinator-friendly solar development. A new white paper by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) provides an overview of these state efforts and offers suggestions for what other states can do to promote solar while also creating or preserving healthy habitats for pollinators.
The Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP) Campaign
The Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP) Campaign will create a low-cost, seamless process for rooftop solar and solar+storage installations, while enhancing safety and reliability. This will make solar energy more affordable and accessible for homeowners and businesses.
Toolbox for Renewable Energy Project Development
This website examines six key issues that have important implications for developing on-site solar projects. Each topic area offers a brief summary of the issue, identifies key resources, and addresses major questions and hurdles key sustainability experts have identified as information gaps or obstacles in their development of new on-site solar projects.