U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Consumer's Guide – Energy Calculators and Software

Renewable Energy Systems

Here you'll find tools to help you evaluate your options for generating your own electricity with a small renewable energy system. System technologies include microhydropower, small solar electric, and small wind electric.

Wind

• Wind Energy Project Model

  Evaluates the energy production, life-cycle costs and greenhouse gas emissions reduction for grid-connected and off-grid wind energy systems. From RETScreen® International

• State Wind Resource Maps

  Help determine whether a location has adequate wind resources for a small wind electric system. From the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Powering America Program

• Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States

  Estimates wind energy resources for the United States and its territories. From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Solar

• PVWatts: A Performance Calculator for Grid-Connected PV Systems

  Find performance estimates for grid-connected PV systems. From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• Photovoltaics Project Model

  Evaluates solar electricity production, life-cycle costs, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction for grid-connected and stand-alone PV systems. Includes an online help manual. From RETScreen® International

• Solar Maps

  Provides an interactive map of solar resources across the United States. Also includes month-by-month resource maps. From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• FindSolar.com Solar Estimator

  Estimate the price, savings, and system size of solar energy systems to produce electricity, heat your water, or heat your spa or pool. From the American Solar Energy Society, the Solar Electric Power Association, Energy Matters LLC, and the U.S. Department of Energy

Biomass

• Theoretical Ethanol Yield Calculator

  Calculate the theoretical yield of ethanol of a potential feedstock for biomass ethanol production. From the U.S. Department of Energy

Clean Electricity

• Power Profiler: How Clean is the Electricity I Use?

  Find out what fuels are used to generate your electricity and how it compares to the national average. From the Environmental Protection Agency

Microhydropower Systems

• Hydropower Resource Assessment

  Features evaluation software and resource assessment reports. From the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

Software

• Homer

  Evaluates design options for both off-grid and grid-connected renewable energy power systems. From the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Tools Software Directory

• Whole Building Analysis for Renewable Energy

  Educates novices on how to produce their own energy using solar energy, wind energy, or both. From the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Tools Software Directory

Related Information

For more information on evaluating potential renewable energy systems, see the following sections:

• Considering a Small Solar Electric System
• Evaluating a Potential Microhydropower Site
• Evaluating a Potential Small Wind Turbine Site.