NREL Technical Assistance Advances Community Clean Energy Goals in LEAP Pilot
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have a long history of partnering on a range of technical assistance programs to make renewable energy goals and priorities a reality for communities across the nation.
The ambition to support these communities can be seen in the Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP) pilot. Communities LEAP is an initiative designed for low-income, energy-burdened communities that have experienced environmental impacts or direct economic impacts from a shift away from a historical reliance on fossil fuels. Through participation, communities create customized energy plans based on their needs, resources and goals.
“Energy planning is complex, so Communities LEAP takes a place-based approach designed to account for the wide variety of renewable energy solutions that can advance each community’s unique priorities, which include economic development, environmental quality, and health benefits,” wrote Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Project Lead for Clean Energy Projects for NREL Kyle Duff. “Over the last 18 months, 24 communities across 17 states formed coalitions and were partnered with one or more community leads from the Communities LEAP technical assistance provider network to develop customized technical assistance.”
According to NREL, The diversity of technical assistance delivered over 18 months can be found in the recently published Communities LEAP pilot final report. The report details the three distinct phases of the initiative and highlights use cases that present the breadth of NREL’s research expertise using cutting-edge, in-house analysis and modeling tools. Tools such as ResStock™, REopt®, and the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform enabled communities to make informed decisions on energy efficiency, solar deployment, advanced energy strategies, and more.
In Columbia, South Carolina, NREL used ResStock to model the impact of energy efficiency retrofits on the local housing stock, focusing on low-income homes with significant energy burdens. The analysis found that basic envelope upgrades, like adding insulation to walls and sealing gaps around doors and windows, are the most cost-effective for lowering energy consumption and reducing energy bills. These results will support community leaders to promote and prioritize energy efficiency improvements that will benefit their residents.