Tools and Resources to Help Local Governments Measure Impacts – Supporting Resources
Energy Efficiency
| Supporting Resource | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Performance Database | DOE | This resource contains consolidated energy-related information about commercial and residential buildings from federal, state and local governments, utilities, energy efficiency programs, and building owners and private companies. | https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-performance-database |
| Outdoor Lighting Decision Tree Tool | DOE | This resource provides a visual and interactive representation of potential approaches and decisions that municipalities or states may encounter when upgrading or replacing public outdoor lighting systems, in addition to providing case studies, models, and reference materials. | https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/solutions-at-a-glance/outdoor-lighting-decision-tree-tool-successful-approaches-cities-states-and |
| Distributed Energy Resources - Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) | Berkeley Lab | This resource is a comprehensive decision support tool designed to find optimal distributed energy resource (DER) investments for buildings or multi-energy microgrids, primarily used to determine the optimal portfolio, sizing, placement, and dispatch of DERs. | https://building-microgrid.lbl.gov/projects/der-cam |
| Rooftop Unit Comparison Calculator | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and DOE | This resource is a web tool that compares the life-cycle costs of high-efficiency rooftop air conditioners to standard equipment, avoiding complicated modeling and providing substantial details. | https://www.pnnl.gov/uac/ |
Renewable Energy
| Supporting Resource | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| REopt Lite | NREL | This resource is a web tool designed to help commercial building managers evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected PV and battery storage systems on-site, identify ideal system sizes to minimize costs, and estimate resiliency. | https://reopt.nrel.gov/tool |
| HUD Solar Request for Proposals (FRP) Toolkit | HUD | This resource is designed for multi-family housing providers and provides a toolkit including a customizable Solar RFP Template, instructions, and guidance to develop and issue a solar RFP. | https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/renewable-energy/resources/solar-rfp-toolkit/ |
| HUD Solar Site Selection Guide | HUD | This resource is designed for affordable housing organizations and describes 12 key technical and economic screening factors, provides a site selection scorecard, and is accompanied by an automated Excel tool which can compare potential solar sites based on screening factors. | https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/renewable-energy/resources/solar-site-selection-guide/ |
Transport
| Supporting Resource | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Efficiency Assessment Method (TEAM) | EPA | This method, accompanied by an implementation guide, employs transportation sketch modeling and EPA's MOVES tool to provide case studies that quantify reductions of vehicle miles traveled and emissions resulting from travel efficiency policies and programs. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/estimating-road-greenhouse-gas-emissions |
| Transportation Related Documents for State and Local Transportation | EPA | This resource provides numerous resources, links, and case studies organized by various transportation sub-topics. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/transportation-related-documents-state-and-local-transportation#main-content |
| Best Workplaces for Commuters Business Benefits Calculator | Best Workplaces | This resource assesses the benefits and costs of commuter choice programs for organizations, employees, or communities based on user-provided information about costs, location, and commuting data. | https://www.bestworkplaces.org/calculat/calc508.html |
GHG Emissions
| Supporting Resource | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) | EPA | This resource is a comprehensive data source for environmental characteristics of electric power generation (e.g., air emissions, net generation, resource mix) and is useful for calculating carbon footprints, conducting GHG inventories, and more. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/energy/emissions-generation-resource-integrated-database-egrid |
| Airport Ground Support Equipment Model | EPA | This resource is a spreadsheet tool that provides users with an analysis of the emission benefits and cost-effectiveness of controlling ground support equipment emissions. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/transportation-related-documents-state-and-local-transportation#airports |
| Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | EPA | This resource can convert either energy or emission data into more concrete terms that everyday users may better comprehend. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator |
| GHG Emissions Factors Hub | EPA | This resource provides default GHG emissions factors of numerous activities and sources to assist organizational GHG reporting. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/climateleadership/center-corporate-climate-leadership-ghg-emission-factors-hub |
Various
| Supporting Resource | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) | EPA | This assessment provides emissions data, ambient concentrations, and health-effect results or air toxics. NATA was developed as a tool for state, local, tribal air agencies to identify which pollutants, emission sources, and places may warrant additional study. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/national-air-toxics-assessment/2014-nata-assessment-results |
| National Emissions Inventory (NEI) | EPA | This resource is a comprehensive estimate of air pollution emissions of criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants from sources nationwide, used to support air quality modeling. | https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/national-emissions-inventory-nei |
| State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform | DOE | This online database allows users to explore available data on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation. SLOPE includes data on energy efficiency potential, electricity and natural gas consumption, renewable energy generation, levelized cost of energy, and projected population. | https://gds.nrel.gov/slope |