Web site of the Month:
U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Information on the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Web site educates industry and consumers about a broad spectrum of energy options. (Artwork by U.S. DOE EERE)

The Internet is one of the greatest tools utilities have for researching energy efficiency and renewable energy—that's great as in large. The information resources on the Web are so vast, it can be hard to find the site you need, especially since search engines don’t rank results by quality.

To help Western customers cut through the filler and get to the killer, Energy Services Bulletin is launching Web site of the month. Each issue will feature a profile of a Web site that offers reliable, current and above all, useful content on subjects related to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Rather than promoting products or services, the column will focus on information utilities need to make effective decisions about technologies and measures. The featured Web site may belong to an association, government agency or educational or research institution. It could even be a Western customer Web site.

Comprehensive site from DOE

The inaugural Web site of the month is a "go-to" reference for Western's Energy Services—the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The EERE mission is to strengthen America's energy security, environmental quality and economic vitality. Through public-private partnerships, EERE seeks to enhance energy efficiency and productivity; bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace; and improve citizens' quality of life by broadening our energy choices. These goals dovetail neatly with Energy Services' commitment to Western customers.

The home page displays the latest news about EERE programs and initiatives and provides links to EERE offices. A "Quick Links" section offers shortcuts to recent press releases, consumer and educator information, an interactive kids' site, financial opportunities announcements and state-specific news.

Resources are classified by EERE's 10 technology programs:

• Biomass
• Building technologies
• Federal Energy Management Program
• FreedomCAR and vehicle technologies
• Geothermal technologies
• Hydrogen, fuel cells and infrastructure technologies
• Industrial technologies
• Solar energy technologies
• Weatherization and intergovernmental
• Wind and hydropower technologies

Each technology site details its program areas, information resources, financial opportunities, technologies and deployment. Technology-specific news and events appear on the right side of the technology home page.

Information and tools

The sites dedicated to energy resources provide a brief history, an overview of current technology and a look at research and development in the field. Additional information specific to the resource is available, such as geothermal resource maps or reports on process engineering for biofuels.

Utilities will find a wealth of tools to help their customers on the best practices sites. The Weatherization Assistance Program, for instance, connects users to calculators, free software downloads and fact sheets on insulation, air sealing, windows and more.

The Industrial Technologies Program offers valuable resources to help commercial and industrial customers reduce their energy consumption. ITP sponsors Industrial Assessment Centers, which provide eligible small- and medium-sized manufacturers with no-cost energy assessments and collects the data in the searchable IAC database. The program's Save Energy Now initiative focuses on heavy manufacturing facilities, completing 200 Energy Savings Assessments in 2006. The ITP E-bulletin keeps subscribers up to date on the latest program news.

News and technical assistance

EERE offers a full menu of newsletters on a broad range of topics, including the free weekly EERE Network News and the e-mail bulletin Progress Alerts. Or, newshounds can automatically track the latest development with the EERE News RSS feed. The feature also allows Web site owners to post the news onto their own sites.

The EERE Information Center provides an online form for specific questions about EERE products, services and technology programs. Users can also call a toll-free number to get answers from a customer service specialist or energy expert.

As its name implies, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is a comprehensive resource on issues that increasingly concern utilities. Future profiles may include Web sites that focus on a single resource or strategy. If you have a favorite Web site that you use to help customers or improve your operations, contact the Energy Services Bulletin editor, and tell us about your experience. Feel free to nominate your utility's Web site to be featured as Web site of the month.