Municipal Solar Site Selection Tool (MSSST)

January 29, 2020 / Dan Slanger

This Excel workbook is designed to efficiently identify promising sites for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. It provides key screening criteria, actionable steps, and the relevant resources needed to conduct preliminary site evaluations. Specific screening criteria are provided for building rooftops, parking canopies, open fields, brownfields, and landfills. The tool is intended for use by municipal decision-makers, but the screening criteria are applicable to most solar projects.

Green Procurement Foundational Training

January 24, 2020 / Dan Slanger

A webinar in which CRA staff provide an overview of the most common transactions used to purchase renewable electricity in the U.S.

Request for Proposals with Low- and Moderate-Income Inclusion

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

An example of a Request for Proposal that seeks community solar PV projects that will provide direct benefits to low- and moderate-income residential electric customers.

Community Power Map

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

This map shows the locations of community solar projects as well as municipal utilities, community choice aggregations, PACE programs, and some city goals.

Community Solar Policy Map

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

The Shared Renewables’ map provides policy details and links to authorizing legislation throughout the U.S.

National Shared Renewables Scorecard

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

IREC’s National Shared Renewables Scorecard evaluates state Shared Renewables programs across the country, providing policymakers and other stakeholders with insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the various programs.

A Guide to Sample Community Solar Garden Leases

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

The guide provides a predefined set of terms and an overview of the key clauses to include in a community solar lease contract.

RE-Powering America’s Land Website

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

EPA’s RE-Powering America’s Land website contains tools and resources on mapping and screening renewable energy on potentially contaminated lands, landfills, and mine sites.

Project Sunroof

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

Google’s Project Sunroof Data Explorer can estimate the solar potential for an entire city, while its Savings Estimator can evaluate specific buildings.

PV Mapper

November 20, 2019 / cra2019dev

The U.S. Department of Energy’s PV Mapper is a free, open-source tool that allows users to search for and compare potential sites for utility-scale solar projects.