Tools and Resources

• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
  Nonprofit engaged in energy efficiency policies, programs, & technologies
• American Energy Alliance (AEA)
  Not-for-profit grassroots advocacy for energy and environmental policies
• Energy News Network: [Northeast]
  Covering important changes in the transition to clean energy
• International District Energy Association (IDEA)
  Association for district heating, district cooling, and CHP
• Leaders in Energy (LE)
  Advancing clean energy for sustainable energy, economy, and greener world
• Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC)
  Non-profit advocacy for microgrid deployment, policies and regulations
• PowerOutage.us
  Tracks, records, and aggregates power outages across the US
• Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21)
  Up-to-date facts, figures and analysis of global energy developments
• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
  National trade association engaging solar research, education and advocacy
• Visual Capitalist: Energy
  Data-driven visuals for the energy sector

• Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC)
  advancing clean energy and energy efficiency products, services, and technologies as part of the Maryland's economic development strategy.     
• Maryland DHCD: Energy Programs
  providing homeowners of all income levels with the resources to improve their home’s energy efficiency; as well as energy efficiency programs for affordable, multifamily rental properties and contractor partners    
• Maryland Energy Administration (MEA)
  managing grants, loans, rebates, and tax incentives designed to help attain Maryland's Goals in energy reduction, renewable energy, climate action, and green jobs. MEA programs help Maryland residents, businesses, non-profits, and local governments implement energy efficiency upgrades and install renewable energy systems.
• Solar United Neighbors (SUN)
  Nonprofit representing the needs & interests of solar owners

• UMD Green Maryland Tour
  College Park campus green virtual tour    
• UMD Sustainability Tour
  College Park campus sustainability map    
• UMD Office of Sustainability
  supports and advances campus environmental performance and literacy, engagement, financial stewardship, and social well-being    
• SustainableUMD
  UMD strives to empower students, faculty and staff to take sustainable steps by bringing local and global systems into balance, redesigning processes to conserve resources, and experimenting with novel sustainable practices
• SustainableUMD Network
  many departments are part of the university's green movement, contributing to campus-wide projects and running internal sustainability programs
• UMD Sustainability Council
  advises the President, the Office of Sustainability, and the campus community about issues related to the integration of sustainability into campus operations

• Electric Generation Restrictions
  Choptank
  Territory closed to solar installations
• Energy Savers
  Department of Energy
  Consumer level info on lighting, windows, heat pumps, etc.
• Energy Basics
  National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
  Summaries of new research and applications of renewable energy
• Farm Energy & Home Energy
  eXtension 
  Agricultural and residential energy information
• Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
  Department of Energy
  Technical info & ongoing research related to energy efficiency & renewables
• PVEducation
  Solar Power Labs at ASU
  Website serving as an electronic book on solar PV
• Solar Educational Resources 
  Solar United Neighbors
  Answers questions on solar maintenance, battery storage, EV charging, and more.
• Solar Power.guide 
  Glossary of energy terms and educational pages on solar.
• STEM for Hydropower 
  National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) & WPTO
  Learning portal to spur innovation and growth in the hydropower energy technologies industry and support workforce development
• STEM for Marine Energy 
  National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) & WPTO
  learning portal to spur innovation and growth in the marine energy technologies industry and support workforce development
• US Energy Information Administration (EIA)
  Annual Energy Outlook Models projections for US energy markets in the coming decades
• Washington State University, Energy Extension Program  
  Excellent resources including the "energy library"

• Energy Self-Assessment
  USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
  Various tools to evaluate systems efficiency (i.e., irrigation efficiency) and renewable energy assessment (i.e., solar-powered livestock watering).

• Appliance Power Table
  Wholesale Solar
  Determines how much power your appliances use by multiplying the wattage by the hours used on the average day to obtain the watt-hours consumed.
   
• Home Energy Saver & Score
  Home Energy Saver (SES)
  Estimates energy consumption based on various end uses or small appliances using the number and approximate age of major appliances.
   
• Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use
  US Department of Energy (DOE)
  Appliance and electronic energy use calculator to estimate your annual energy use and cost to operate specific products.

• In My BackYard (IMBY) 
  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 
  Estimates the production and basic cost effectiveness of solar electric and small wind. Allows users to “draw” installations on their own homes or businesses through Google Maps interface.
   
• PVWatts® Calcuator
  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  Estimates the energy production and cost of energy of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, small building owners, installers and manufacturers to easily develop estimates of the performance of potential PV installations.
   
• Renewable Energy Ready Home Solar Site Assessment Tool 
  ENERGY STAR 
  Guides home builders in assessing the physical orientation to support the installation of a solar energy system. This tool evaluates the proposed site's solar resource potential based on the home's location and anticipated shading effects at the proposed site.
   
• RETScreen 
  Natural Resource Canada
  Clean Energy Management Software system for energy efficiency, renewable energy and cogeneration project feasibility & performance analysis. Decision support to evaluate the energy production, savings, costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk.
   
• Solar-Estimate Calculator
  Solar Investments Inc
  A solar electric, solar thermal, and wind assessment tool supplied by the solar and wind energy industry; provides information on resource and economic return.
   
• Solar-Estimate Companies
  Solar Investments Inc
  A solar company assessment tool providing information on companies engaged in solar and solar leasing/PPAs in your area.
   
• SolarPILOT
  National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  Optimizing and sizing rooftop photovoltaic and solar hot water system installations.

• Solar Production Calculator
  Solar United Neighbors
  Calculate lost electricity savings for solar modules that are not functioning properly

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
This more involved assessment tool allows larger facilities to evaluate their technical and economic suitability for combined heat and power.

• Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Bio-based Products Manufacturing Assistance Program 
  USDA: Rural Development
  Provides loan guarantees to assist in the development, construction and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and bio-based products. Application Deadline: April 1, 2021.
• Commercial, Industrial & Ag Grant (CI&A) 
  Maryland Energy Admin (MEA)
  A competitive program that provides grants for deep energy retrofit projects in commercial, industrial, agricultural, and non-profit facilities.
• C-PACE
  Maryland Commercial Pace
  Providing turn-key, low cost, standardized C-PACE services to property owners, capital providers, contractors, and local governments in the state
• Rural Business Energy Efficiency Improvement Loan Fund  
  MARBIDCO
  Low-interest, “micro” loan to enable farmers and rural businesses to implement recommendations of a third-party energy auditor; providing below market rate financing assistance to facilitate the purchase of equipment or technology for lowering energy consumption
• Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
  USDA
  The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Application Deadline for Loan and Grant Combinations: March 31, 2021. Application Deadline for Loan Guarantees: Ongoing
• Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)
  USDA
  Loans to help rural families and small businesses achieve cost savings to implement durable cost-effective energy efficiency measures

• Low Income Energy Efficiency Program
  
  Repairs and upgrades to a home can significantly reduce energy use throughout the year, which can give you a more comfortable home, lower monthly power bills and improve air quality and family health. Maryland's EmPOWER Program helps low-income households with installation of materials and equipment at no charge.

• Smart Energy Savers Program
  
  From LED discounts and home energy check-ups to thermostat optimization, these programs can get you started. Receive bill credits for using less energy when you participate in Energy Savings Days.Save on ENERGY STAR® certified products and appliances for your home. Buy ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs, smart thermostats, advanced power strips and other energy-saving products.
   
• Energy Saving Programs
  
  Learn how to increase efficiency and comfort with an Energy Assessment; save money and energy on Peak Savings Days, and discover rebates and discounts when you buy efficient lighting, appliances and equipment.
   
• Energy Saving Programs
  
  Learn how to increase efficiency and comfort with an Energy Assessment; save money and energy on Peak Savings Days, and discover rebates and discounts when you buy efficient lighting, appliances and equipment.

• Smart Energy Saving Programs
  
  Learn about the Appliance Turn-In Program, energy efficient products, home energy analyzer, home performance with ENERGY STAR®, the HVAC Program, lighting discounts and rebates, the Quick Home Energy Checkup, and the Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP).
   
• EmPOWER Maryland Programs
  
  Learn how to save energy and money throught the EmPOWER Maryland initiative which aims to reduce energy consumption in the state each year. SMECO’s EmPOWER Maryland programs help customer-members save energy.
   
• Energy Saving Program
  
  Providing residential and commercial rebates, to help you save on high-efficiency natural gas equipment; offering rebates on high-efficiency natural gas equipment, helping to reduce customers’ energy consumption and save money on their utility bills. Washington gas offers an Online Home Energy Profile to educate customers on how to save energy and money in their homes.

• Montgomery County Homeowner Energy Efficiency Program
  The Montgomery County Homeowner Energy Efficiency Program (MCEEP) is a FREE program through the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, administered by Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland aimed at reducing home energy usage for qualified PEPCO customers.

• Prince George's Sustainable Energy Initiatives
  The Clean Energy Program builds on Maryland and Prince George's County's energy-efficiency and carbon reduction goals and will help in making our County more energy resilient, using a holistic approach to break energy injustice and barriers. We offer residents within the Pepco service territory of these nine neighborhoods, classified as Energy Resiliency Communities (ERCs), the ability to apply for grants to perform energy efficiency retrofits and subsequently, install solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or water heater systems.

• New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds
  Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  tax credit bonds authorized under IRC Section 54A, allowing a credit to investors that hold such bond on one or more of the quarterly credit allowance dates.
   
• Home Upgrades
  U.S. Department of Energy
  from solar panels to stove tops, you can get money back whether you’re replacing an old appliance or installing new technology. The money is returned to you in two ways – a tax credit or a rebate
   
• Energy Performance Contracting
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  turnkey service providing a comprehensive set of energy efficiency, renewable energy and distributed generation measures; often is accompanied with guarantees that the savings produced by a project will be sufficient to finance the full cost of the project
   
• Energy Matrix
  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  one-stop-shopping matrix serving the public, private businesses and the government; helping you navigate USDA's energy-related programs. If you are searching for alternative and affordable energy solutions, funding for projects, available programs and program information, or research and development – the matrix is here to assist you. 

• Green Energy Loan Program
  FSC First
  The Program was created to advance public and private investment in clean energy and other innovative green technologies in Prince George’s County. This fund is a Pepco/Exelon sponsored program that supports an emerging industry in the County with loans up to $250,000 for commercial building energy efficiency improvements, energy conservation & renewable energy measures. Loan, guarantees or loan loss reserve up to $250,000; Not to exceed 20 years;Interest tates Dependent upon underwriting, typically not exceeding 6%.

• Sustainable Maryland Grants Portal
  Environmental Finance Center & Maryland Municipal League
  comprehensive listing of resources that can be easily searched and customized to your interests. You can do a quick search, or create a profile that will automatically match your search preferences and will send weekly updates on new resources that match your preferences.

Energy Degree Programs
EnergyDegrees.org
educational website created for students by industry experts - packed with program listings, degree guides, and career resources tailored to aspiring energy professionals