Practical methods for community organizations to advance energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy.

The report provides practical methods for community organizations to advance energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy. Community organizations can use this report to select specific tools to prepare proposals for funding and to carry out energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy projects.

The basic activities central to successful clean energy programs, which are covered in more detail in the report, include:

1. Take stock of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing clean energy in their communities and facing their organizations.
2. Develop program or organizational objectives.
3. Understand barriers to clean energy deployment and review how to overcome those barriers.
4. Figure out what markets to operate in and what clean energy services to promote.
5. Capitalize on synergies among diverse organizations and perspectives to accelerate early adoption of clean energy resources, find additional opportunities for clean energy project, and better define problems facing clean energy and devise more effective solutions.
6. Develop ways to educate citizens, consumers, and contractors.
7. Use social networks to recruit participants.
8. Strengthen community relationships by empowering community members at the beginning of the clean energy program and establishing trust within the community to be served.
9. Look for big opportunities for small incentives to increase program participation and raise visibility.
10. Scale up.
11. Monitor and evaluate program progress, costs, and results.
12. Diversify funding sources.