National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Energy Analysis Office

Help/Tutorial for PV Value Clearinghouse

This brief tutorial explains the basics of using the PV Value Clearinghouse to search for and view documents. Please click on the "Access Data" button on the left navigation to get access to the PV Value Clearinghouse database. For questions not covered here, please refer to our Contacts page. We suggest printing this page and keeping it handy as a reference when using the Web site.

Accessing the Data

The PV Value Clearinghouse can be accessed in two different ways (login required):

1. The Evaluation Matrix "Basic Search" (login required) by clicking the "Evaluation Matrix" tab—this is the easiest way to get started.
2. The Document List "Advanced Search" (login required) by clicking the "Documents" tab—this offers more advanced search options.

The Evaluation Matrix displays summary information of all the studies captured in the PV Value Clearinghouse database. Please refer to Figure 1 for an image of the interface with instructions for how to use the Web site interface.

Figure 1: Evaluation Matrix Larger View (Note: Opens in a new window)

On top of the table are two tabs: 1) Evaluation Matrix (Basic Search) and 2) the Document List. Under the default tab (Basic Search) are two buttons: a) Summary and b) Details.

By default, the interface shows the Summary page. By clicking on the tab "Details", you will see an expanded Matrix. In the matrix are numbers indicating how many reports are available for each Category (Investment, Utility Bill, Incentives, etc.) and Perspective (Participant, All Ratepayers, Utility, etc.). Numbers in green indicate benefits, numbers in red describe costs. By clicking on the numbers in the Evaluation Matrix, you will be taken to the Document List displaying the results.

There are several ways you can search for documents of interest. In the Evaluation Matrix, these costs and benefits are categorized based on who receives the benefit (or pays the cost) and by the benefit/cost component, such as investment, tax effects, or utility cost savings. Users are able to point to the set of documents that highlight the combination of beneficiary and component, allowing for more targeted document searches. The Evaluation Matrix is captured two ways: in Summary form, showing the main benefit/cost category, and in a Details section that breaks down these nine categories even further.

The Document List is also searchable by author, title, title keyword, date, or by type of document (reports, conference proceedings, etc.). Each document includes basic information (abstract, authors, date, etc.) and more specific information, such as Internet location of the document (if any), keywords, and geographical area covered.

The Evaluation Matrix

The Evaluation Matrix Framework

This database offers a framework that can be used to perform a more comprehensive (and, thus, a more accurate) analysis. It frames the established Standard Practice Tests used for demand-side management cost-effectiveness evaluation within a benefit-cost matrix and then expands this matrix to include additional perspectives and benefits/costs. It also suggests which benefits/costs apply from the various perspectives, as well as whether they are a benefit or a cost.

The Evaluation Matrix - Perspectives

A set of standard industry tests evaluate the cost-effectiveness of efficiency and load-management programs. These tests identify the cost-and-benefit components and cost-effectiveness calculation procedures and include:

1. Participant
2. Ratepayer Impact Measure (RIM)
3. Total Resource Cost (TRC)
4. Program Administrator Cost (PAC)

From these tests, one can identify the different perspectives that would either benefit or pay the costs of taking action. The perspectives included in the PV Value Clearinghouse are:

1. Participant (who installs the system)
2. All Ratepayers (to the extent that all ratepayers pay a cost or enjoy a benefit)
3. Utility (who may support program implementation, or benefit from the program)
4. Industry (the PV industry)
5. Local Government (who may secure economic or environmental benefits)
6. State Government (who may pay an incentive or may benefit economically)
7. Federal Government (who may pay tax credits or increase energy security)

The Evaluation Matrix - Benefits/Costs

The benefits and costs can be measured in many different ways, as shown in the categories used in the PV Value Clearinghouse below.

The Document List

The Document List view offers a powerful way to search the PV Value Clearinghouse. Please see Figure 2 for a visual representation of the Document List with directions for how to use the interface. This advanced search offers several ways of filtering the Document List:

1. Advanced Filters
2. Sorting by Column Headings
3. Column Filters
4. Keyword Search

Figure 2: Document List Larger View (Note: Opens in a new window)

Advanced Filters

The Advanced Filters are positioned above the column headings to the right side. Each drop-down box offers selections to filter the Document List. We recommend setting the filters in the order they are listed. Keep in mind that the Advanced filters are interactive, and the latter filters depend on the initial filters.

1. Perspective Filter
2. Category Filter
3. Component Filter
4. Other Filter Type

Sorting by Column Headings

The column headings on the Document List page are: Type, Title, Author/Institution, Publication, and Date. By clicking on each of these column headings, the list of documents will toggle between sorting the selected column in "ascending order", "descending order", or "not sorted." By default, the columns are not sorted.

Figure 3: Apply Column Filter

Column Filters

Under the column headings, each column has a text box with an "Apply Filter" button next to it. Clicking on the button reveals the different filters that may be applied to that field. For example in the Type column: By typing Report in the text box and then clicking the button and selecting "Contains" as the filter, the Document List will be filtered to show only those documents where the field Type contains the word Report. By default, the filter is set to show all data.

Keyword Search

The Keyword Search feature allows you to search for any keyword on the most relevant fields in the database. The Keyword Search takes into account any and all filters that you may have already set using the Advanced Filters or the Column Filters. Currently, the Keyword Search can only search for one word or phrase, or date ranges. To perform a Keyword Search on the entire database contents without any filters, please be sure to first click on the "Clear All Filters" button.

Viewing Documents

Once a document of interest is identified in the Document List, click on the magnifying lens icon to open the detailed record for that document. The detailed record has information on authors, institutions, analysis methods, technologies, applications, perspectives, locations, as well as a URL hyperlink to the study (if available).