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Technical Assessments

As a first step in energy project development, NREL conducts technical assessments to identify ways to save energy and costs and achieve energy and environmental goals, including:

  • Improving energy performance
  • Optimizing the design of energy systems
  • Achieving net-zero status—a standard met when buildings and facilities produce as much energy as they consume.

Our technical assessments help energy project leaders:

  • Establish baseline energy consumption
  • Analyze the full portfolio of options for improving energy performance.

We also perform supply-side assessments of renewable resources, including biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind.

Assessment Tool and Model Development

NREL develops assessment tools and models that maximize opportunities to improve energy design and performance. Organizations requiring guidance in developing comprehensive energy solutions can leverage these resources to make informed decisions and direct investments for optimal impact.

JFK Center Case Study

NREL Assessment Shows PV Project Could Yield 15-year ROI

Photo of a farmer holding a gas pump and kneeling next to a biodiesel drum in a sunlit field of green soybeans under a blue sky. In the background a black tractor pulls yellow farm equipment.

Need

To comply with new energy efficiency standards for federal facilities, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., was considering a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system. Its first priority was to determine whether such an installation could be cost-effective.

Solution

The Kennedy Center engaged a team of experts from NREL, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Sandia National Laboratories to perform a site assessment to identify potential opportunities and obstacles. Using data on site conditions, electricity use, tariffs, incentives, grants, and rebates, the team ran detailed simulations to estimate energy delivery and energy demand savings. It also performed a 25-year life-cycle cost analysis.

Results

Results showed the potential for installing numerous arrays to deliver almost 1,200 kW of PV for $9.5 million. Under scenarios that included innovative financing mechanisms and renewable energy credits, the analysis indicated that the PV installation could yield a return within 15 years, save about 1.5 million Kw of electricity, and cut CO2 emissions by almost 1.2 million pounds annually.