News Brief

Local Energy Profiles Now Easier with DOE SLED Tool

Punch in a zip code and get instant data on the local electrical grid, potential for renewables, utility costs, and more.

by Paula Melton

The tool returns results on a variety of energy metrics, as seen in this screen capture from the SLED website, saving hours of research.
Screen capture: SLED website

A new tool from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides local energy profiles to aid in planning, development, and renewable-energy projects in the U.S. The tool collects state and municipal data in a central location to help streamline research on a variety of energy metrics.

Users type in a zip code or city name, and the SLED tool (short for State and Local Energy Data) returns results on the following:

Electricity generation, including fuel sources, demand by sector, and utility rate trends compared with the national average
Energy-efficiency data, including consumption trends over time and efficiency policies and incentives
Renewable energy, including generation potential for hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal as well as policies and incentives for renewable-energy projects
Transportation fuel sources and costs, and maps of alternative fuel stations
Resources on community planning

“This tool can save decision-makers time, energy, and money through the aggregation of a lot of different datasets,” notes Jennifer DeCesaro, director of DOE’s Technology-to-Market Office, in a promotional video about SLED. “You can do in five minutes with this tool what it might take you hours to do by searching the Web.”

For more information:

U.S. Department of Energy

apps1.eere.energy.gov/sled

Published August 14, 2014 Permalink Citation

Melton, P. (2014, August 14). Local Energy Profiles Now Easier with DOE SLED Tool. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/local-energy-profiles-now-easier-doe-sled-tool