• About the Guide
• Development Process
• Assessing Energy Resources
• Energy Technology Basics
• Electricity Grid Basics
• Costs
  • Renewable Technologies
• Project Implementation Issues
• Case Studies
• Glossary

Costs

This section helps you evaluate the costs of your tribe's energy options.

The main factors affecting the economics of energy installations are the initial capital cost and the annual operating costs over the life of the installation. Life-cycle cost analysis compares these costs to the energy output of the system. This section has information on the costs of renewable energy technology options.

Other sections of the Guide provide additional information and tools to help you on the path toward energy self-sufficiency:

• Development Process — A step-by-step approach to establishing an energy vision for your tribe and then pursuing it through to completion.

• Assessing Energy Resources — Determining your tribe's energy options.

• Energy Technology Basics — Deciding how your tribe can best use its energy resources.

• Electricity Grid Basics — Understanding how the power grid works.

• Project Implementation Issues — Environmental and cultural impacts, potential risks to the tribe and the project developer, and legal issues.

• Information Resources — A glossary of energy terminology, selected case studies, and a document index.