Technical Support Services

NREL experts provide technical support services related to energy use and future scenarios for U.S. state, local, and tribal jurisdictions when there are not federally supported programs available.

Jurisdictions can access these services via streamlined contracting terms and set pricing between $2,000 and $20,000 depending on the service.

	Service	Technical Support	Duration
	Ask an Expert	Answer questions about technology, policy, and regulations related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation	Up to 6 hours
Support Options Include appropriate use of NREL's tools and analysis; direction to available NREL tools; introductory technical support on available NREL tools and analysis application; immediate feedback on concepts and suggestions; overview of financing options; and direction to available resources for further information. Service Deliverables One intake call limited to 1 hour to identify relevant NREL expert(s); two consultative calls, limited to 2 hours each with NREL expert(s); and one out-take call limited to 1 hour to debrief and gather feedback or to direct jurisdiction to additional resources.
	Technical, Policy, and Regulatory Overview	Help a jurisdiction better understand options for accomplishing energy-related goals. Recommend following Ask an Expert support to maximize usefulness.	Up to 40 hours
Support Options Include limited support for spreadsheet and NREL tool analysis estimating impacts of different possibilities when relevant data is available for the location from the jurisdiction. Also, include a tool demonstration; review of jurisdiction-developed outputs and conclusions; and a phone call to answer 'on call' technical questions related to the tool from senior people in the decision-making space. Service Deliverable A summary presentation, summary spreadsheet, or 4- to 5-page unpublished paper delivered to the jurisdiction.
	Custom Data Development for Jurisdictions	Customized analysis and training on NREL’s LEAD, SLOPE, or other data portals or tools. Recommend following Ask an Expert support to maximize usefulness.	TBD
Support Options Include custom-developed NREL expert answers to one of the following questions: (1) What are the core sectors that influence energy use in my jurisdiction? (2) Where are the opportunities to target clean energy and efficiency programs and policies to benefit low- and moderate-income residents in my jurisdiction? (3) What are the potential savings from targeting different sectors (residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, generation)? If more than one question is requested, additional support can be purchased by increasing quantity of this service. Service Deliverable A 4- to 10-page document for the jurisdiction to use. For examples on the output, see the U.S. Department of Energy's City Energy: Data to Decisions.
	Expert Participation in Technical or Advisory Committee	NREL expert's sustained participation in an ongoing jurisdictional technical or advisory committee on a specific topic. Recommend following Ask an Expert support to maximize usefulness.	Up to 44 hours+
Support Options If more frequency within the one-year limit is requested in advance, additional support can be purchased up front in increments of one, 4-hour technical or advisory committee meetings —not to exceed six, 4-hour additional technical or advisory committee meetings over the course of the year. Service Deliverables Up to 20 total hours of preparation of existing analysis and materials and NREL expert's participation in six, 4-hour technical or advisory committee meetings over the course of one year.
	Technical Review of Request for Proposal	NREL expert review of request for proposal (RFP) to refine the technical aspects of the RFP to improve responses.	Up to 2 hours of calls
Service Deliverables One intake call limited to 1 hour to identify relevant NREL expert(s); NREL expert's review and comments on one RFP, which will be provided via email and limited to 30 pages; and one out-take call limited to 1 hour to debrief and gather feedback or to direct jurisdiction to additional resources.
	Technical Review of Proposals in Response to RFP	NREL expert advice as a non-voting technical review member on the proposal review committee. Recommend following Technical Review of Request for Proposal service.	Up to 40 hours +
Support Options Include services of an NREL expert in the technology/ies included in the RFP to review and score (based on stated criteria) proposals submitted in response to an RFP. Service Deliverables 1 hour of intake and debrief and up to 40 hours review of proposal responses (limited to 10 proposals up to 30 pages long).
	Travel	In-person, NREL expert services.	TBD
Service Deliverable Domestic travel to jurisdiction.

Contracting Terms and Conditions

These technical support services are limited to the services described above and do not include modifications to tools, development of new tools, or requests for program design. Services are limited to state, local, and tribal government decisions using NREL’s existing ecosystem of tools.

See the Terms and Conditions for State, Local, and Tribal Technical Support Services.

Contact

If you represent a state, local, or tribal government and are interested in NREL technical support services, pricing, and process, contact STAT@nrel.gov.