TheGrantMap vs DSIRE: which one finds your home improvement grants?
DSIRE and The Grant Map both help people find money for their homes, but they are built for different jobs. DSIRE is the country's most thorough database of energy and efficiency incentives. The Grant Map is a directory of all home improvement money, organized by city, including the roof, accessibility, and repair grants that energy databases do not track. If you are an installer or researcher chasing solar and efficiency policy, DSIRE is unmatched. If you are a homeowner asking "what can I get for my house, in my city," start here.
The short version: DSIRE is free, authoritative, and energy-only, organized by incentive and technology. The Grant Map is free and covers all four layers of home improvement money (federal, state, county or city, utility), organized by city, with a contractor handoff and a full Spanish site. Use DSIRE for energy policy depth; use The Grant Map to see everything available where you live.
Side by side, as of mid-2026
| The Grant Map | DSIRE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | All home improvement money: roof, HVAC, accessibility, energy, structural, emergency | Renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives only |
| Organized by | City and project type | Incentive, policy, and technology |
| Non-energy repair grants | Yes | No |
| Stacking estimator | Yes | No |
| Connects you to a contractor | Yes | No |
| Full Spanish site | Yes | No |
| Cost to you | Free | Free |
| Run by | StanHattie LLC (independent directory) | N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center, NC State (DOE-funded since 1995) |
| Best for | Homeowners finding repair money in their city | Researchers and installers tracking energy and efficiency policy |
Where DSIRE is the better choice
DSIRE earns its reputation. It has tracked renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives since 1995, it is run by an academic center at NC State with Department of Energy funding, and its data is published openly under a Creative Commons license. If you need the regulatory detail on net metering, interconnection rules, a specific solar performance incentive, or the exact statutory citation behind a state efficiency program, DSIRE is the authority and nothing else comes close. Professionals in the solar and efficiency trades use it for exactly that.
What DSIRE deliberately does not do is tell a homeowner about the roof grant their city runs, the accessibility money for aging in place, the emergency repair fund at the county, or the forgivable rehab loan at the state housing agency. It is energy-first by design, organized for policy research rather than for someone standing in a house that needs work.
Where The Grant Map is the better choice
The Grant Map starts from the homeowner's question. Type in your city and you see every home improvement program we track there, energy and non-energy alike, with the dollar amount, the deadline, the phone number, and a link to the official application. As of mid-2026 the directory covers roughly 57,000 programs across more than 2,100 US cities in all 50 states plus Washington DC.
- All four layers, not just energy. Federal, state, county or city, and utility programs in one place, including roof, HVAC, accessibility, structural, and emergency repair money.
- Organized by city. The biggest dollars usually sit at the local layer people check last. We surface them first.
- Stacking guidance. Our eligibility check and city stacker estimate what you could combine across layers, which no energy database does.
- A contractor handoff. Once you know the money exists, we can connect you with a contractor, free to you.
- A full Spanish site. Every page, not a translated landing page.
See every program in your city, free
Answer three questions and we will show you the home improvement money you qualify for, with dollar amounts and official links.
Check my eligibility Browse all citiesCommon questions
Is DSIRE free to use?
Yes. DSIRE is free. It is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University, has been funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy since 1995, and its database is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license.
Does DSIRE list home repair grants?
No. DSIRE covers renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies. It does not list roof, accessibility, structural, emergency, or general home repair grants, and it is organized by incentive and technology rather than by what a homeowner can get in their city.
What is a good DSIRE alternative for home improvement grants?
The Grant Map is the closest alternative for homeowners. It covers all four layers of home improvement money, including the non-energy repair grants DSIRE does not track, and it organizes everything by city with dollar amounts and official links. Check what you qualify for.
Who runs DSIRE?
DSIRE is run by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University. It was established in 1995 and has been funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. EnergySage also supports the project.
Can I use DSIRE and The Grant Map together?
Yes, and many people should. Use DSIRE for the deep detail on energy and efficiency policy, and use The Grant Map to see every home improvement program, energy and non-energy, available in your specific city, then apply through the official program links both sites point to.