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Resources for Financing

This page provides information on the financing options for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and programs. We provide these resources for state- and local-level energy analysts, officials, and decision makers who are interested in requesting help from the Technical Assistance Project.

Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

General Financing and Incentives Information

  • Solar PV Financing – Deployment on Public Property by State and Local Governments (PDF 1.1 MB)

    Examines the ways that state and local governments can optimize the financial structure of deploying photovoltaics (PV) for public uses.

  • Innovations in Wind and Solar PV Financing (PDF 731 KB)

    Surveys some of the current issues related to wind and solar PV energy project financing in the electric power industry, and identifies both barriers to and opportunities for increased investment.

  • Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

    Provides a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Financing Strategies and Mechanisms

  • Financing EnergySmart Schools

    Outlines choices to be considered when a school district decides to make an energy-efficient investment. A number of state governments, utilities, and foundations offer financing programs specifically designed for high-performance construction.

  • DOE's Financial Opportunities for States

    Provides access to a number of programs that are available to help state governments and organizations finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

  • Community Wind Financing Handbook (PDF 502 KB)

    Identifies critical financing issues and presents several possible financing models that reflect the differing financial positions and investment goals of various community wind project owners/developers.

Project-Finance Tools

  • Wind Energy Finance

    Accesses an online levelized cost-of-energy calculator for utility-scale wind energy projects. Users also can access background information (PDF 2 MB) on the EERE site.

  • RET Financing

    Simulates a 30-year nominal dollar cash flow for a variety of renewable energy power projects. An Internet-based cost of electricity model, RET Finance calculates project earnings, detailed cash flows, and debt payments. RET Finance also computes a project's levelized cost-of-electricity, after-tax internal rate of return, and debt service coverage ratio. The model also allows users to create project financial scenarios and save them for future use.