During the Office of Indian Energy’s System Advisor Model Training June 7–8 at Northern Arizona University, attendees had the opportunity to input, model, and analyze real data to make more informed decisions about renewable energy projects. Photo by Sherry Stout, NREL

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy hosted a System Advisor Model (SAM) Training at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were excited to be on NAU’s campus and work in collaboration with their Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, which seeks to strengthen tribal capacity.

Image
Representatives from tribal communities across the United States came to the training to learn more about renewable energy technologies and how to model real projects that could benefit their tribes. The training provided attendees with an opportunity to explore how to plan renewable energy projects for their communities. It also gave participants a chance to hear from each other about their experiences with project development, including lessons learned and how to avoid common pitfalls.

During the two-day training, I was joined by my colleagues from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Senior Finance Analyst Paul Schwabe and Engineer Sherry Stout. We provided an overview of renewable energy technology fundamentals, resource and market potential, and project ownership options.

On the second day of the training, we walked attendees through how to use the SAM tool to model projects using data they brought with them about real-life renewable energy projects their tribes are working on. Developed by NREL, SAM uses technology information and financing options to help users make performance predictions and cost of energy estimations. All participants left the training with an actionable output report from SAM.

While it was a prerequisite that the attendees be well versed in project financing terms and concepts, this training enabled them to move beyond the basic concepts and delve deeper into project economic analysis. The knowledge gained will help them provide tribal leaders and partners with data to make informed decisions about renewable energy projects.

If you weren’t able to attend the SAM Training but want to learn more, we’ve posted the presentations online. You can also download the free SAM tool on NREL’s website, where there are many instructional videos to help you learn how to use it.

Don’t miss the Office of Indian Energy’s next training on Tribal Energy Economic Impact Tools, July 19–20 in Portland, Oregon. The training will focus on how to use NREL’s Jobs and Economic Development Impact models and the Community Solar Scenario Tool to analyze the economic impacts of renewable energy projects on tribal lands.

—Written by Erin Nobler, Senior Project Leader, NREL