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Resources for Renewable Energy Technology Performance and Costs

This page provides technology performance and cost data/studies as well as general information for renewable energy technologies. 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.

Wind

  • Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006 (PDF 2.5 MB)

    Provides information on wind applications that exceed 50 kW in size.

  • 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply (PDF 9.1 MB)

    Examines some the costs, challenges, and key impacts of generating 20% of the nation's electricity from wind energy in 2030.

  • Wind Program Publications

    Includes links to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) publications focused on various R&D activities in wind energy technologies, as well as an avian literature and publications database.

  • Small Wind Economic Model (Excel 102 KB)

    Provides a spreadsheet tool that helps the user analyze the economics of a small wind electric system and decide whether wind energy will work for a particular use.

Photovoltaics Solar

  • Solar Advisor Model

    Allows users to investigate the impact of variations in physical, cost, and financial parameters to better understand their impact on key figures of merit. Figures of merit related to the cost and performance of these systems include, but aren't limited to, system output, peak and annual system efficiency, levelized cost of electricity, system capital and operating and maintenance (O&M) costs, and hourly system production. (Also provides information on concentrating solar power, below).

  • "Very Large-Scale Deployment of Grid-Connected Solar PV in the U.S.: Challenges and Opportunities" (PDF 423 KB)

    Provides analyses on the potential for solar photovoltaics (PV) to be deployed on a very large scale and provide a large fraction of a system's electricity.

  • "Letting the Sun Shine on Solar Costs: An Empirical Investigation of Photovoltaic Cost Trends in California" (PDF 1.6 MB)

    Provides an in-depth statistical analysis of PV system costs in California.

  • Solarbuzz

    Provides up-to-date price survey information for photovoltaic-generated electricity and equipment, as well as solar industry statistics.

Concentrating Solar Power

  • NREL Parabolic Trough Solar Power Network

    Provides a technical resource for evaluation of parabolic-trough solar power plant technologies.

  • Solar Publications

    Lists NREL reports on concentrating solar power (CSP) technology and costs.

  • Western Governors' Association – Solar Task Force Report (PDF 3.1 MB)

    Includes technology descriptions and projected costs for CSP, as well as the benefits and risks to ratepayers and society.

Biomass

  • General Biomass Technologies Information

    Lists extensive resources for those interested in learning more about biomass technologies.

  • Bioenergy Feedstock Information Network

    Provides links to biomass feedstock information resources from DOE national laboratories.

  • Biomass Energy Data Book

    Accesses a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis in the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program of the Department of Energy (DOE). Designed for use as a convenient reference, the book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize the biomass industry, from the production of biomass feedstocks to their end use.

  • Anaerobic Digester Resources 

    Provides comprehensive anaerobic digester technology, market, financing, and industry information compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

  • Landfill Biogas Resources

    Provides access to information on the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), which is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that promotes the use of landfill gas as a renewable, green energy source.

  • Biomass Energy Cost Calculators from the California Biomass Collaborative

    Accesses Excel-based calculators that compute the level cost of energy in both current and constant dollars for different biomass energy facilities. These include biomass power, combined heat and power, biomass gasification/power generation, biogas, landfill gas, and hydrogen.

Geothermal

  • General Geothermal Technologies Information

    Provides information on geothermal power, direct-use, and heat-pump applications compiled by the Department of Energy (DOE).

  • Geothermal Resource Estimates for the United States (PDF 2.7 MB)

    Gathers and summarizes expert opinions about the potential of various geothermal resources for generation of electricity and utilization of heat energy.

  • An Assessment of Geothermal Resource Development Needs in the Western United States (PDF 2.4 MB)

    Documents how geothermal fits into energy planning at the state and local level, and provides information on the current status of geothermal development in Western states.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells