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If you ascribe to the phrase “knowledge is power”, then you need to visit one of the most comprehensive knowledge centers on the web concerning financial incentives available for energy efficiency and renewable energy applications. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) (www.dsireusa.org) is a comprehensive source of information regarding state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

DSIRE, established in 1995, is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). The site is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and contains up-to-date summaries and detailed examinations of financial incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy. The information provided covers tax incentives, grants, loans, rebates, and bond programs for all fifty states. There are also financial incentive tables applying to virtually all types of renewable energy that illustrate the available tax incentives, grants, loans, rebates, bond programs, and production incentives.

The most rapidly evolving section of DSIRE focuses on “Rules, Regulations, & Policies for Renewable Energy”. The breadth and depth of the information is truly impressive: public benefits funds, renewable portfolio standards, net metering, interconnection standards, generation disclosure, contractor licensing, equipment certification, solar/wind access laws, requirements to offer a green power product, and green power purchasing/aggregation policies. The market for renewable energy credits (RECs) is changing so quickly that without the DSIRE database, keeping up with the ongoing modifications would be a full time job in itself. It is important to understand that one REC is created for every 1000 Kilowatts produced by a renewable energy source. The renewable generation sources eligible to produce these RECs varies from state to state, as does the value of the REC produced by each type of resource. For example, in states like New Jersey and Delaware, RECs produced by solar power are worth five to twenty times that of RECs produced by wind power and other renewables. Obviously it pays to be aware of such facts and the site is full of similarly valuable information.

The website is very user friendly, in that it contains internal search capabilities, a glossary, a library, and summary tables. Furthermore, it contains several color-coded maps (with map links) that have been developed using the DSIRE database to provide a geographical view of the availability of selected financial and regulatory incentives across the U.S. Don’t waste your time chasing down this type of information on your own, just pay a visit to www.dsireusa.org and see what it has to offer.

Author:

Fred Widicus

Systems & Renewable Energy Consultants, LLC

www.SREC-LLC.com

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