DSIRE is a project administered by the University of North Carolina and the Interstate Energy Council.  It is a comprehensive database of incentives from federal, state and local authorities as well as utility providers across the United States.  From grants and loans for financing clean energy projects to rebates and tax incentives, DSIRE is a regularly updated source for information about programs new and old as well as rules, regulations and policies for applying.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed the PVWatts map and calculator tools to give non-experts access to solar radiation data and estimates for grid-tied photovoltaic systems in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, Alaska and Hawaii.  Users click on the map or type in an address to display the amount of sunlight that falls on a square meter at that location over the course of a year, as well as the local cost of electricity.  After identifying a location the user can export the data to the PVWatts Cost Savings Calculator.

The Calculator takes a PV system size, the cost of electricity and the location’s exposure to solar radiation to calculate system efficiency, monthly and yearly cost savings.

Sourcemap is a project from MIT postdoc Leo Bonanni that proposes a “crowd–sourced approach to resource accounting through the democratization of sustainable design.”  Visit the site to track user–created supply chains for the troubled Boeing 787 Dreamliner, iPhone 3GS or a bottle of water.

As a company that sources components and manufacturing facilities locally, we at SMIT are particularly excited about Sourcemap’s mission.  It has the potential to allow consumers and designers alike to measuring the environmental environmental impact of diverse products and processes and put a face to the name of “sustainability.”