--- title: "Connect FreshBooks to NREL - APIANT.ai" description: "When \"New Bill\" fires in FreshBooks, your agent runs \"Estimate solar energy production\" in NREL." canonical: "https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-nrel" --- # Connect FreshBooks to NREL When **New Bill** fires in [FreshBooks](https://apiant.ai/connections/freshbooks), your agent runs **Estimate solar energy production** in [NREL](https://apiant.ai/connections/nrel). Describe the whole flow and it is built, tested on every scenario and kept running. FreshBooks **16** triggers FreshBooks **29** actions NREL **5** actions What the catalog holds today. Ask for anything missing and your agent reads the API documentation and adds it. ## What do you want FreshBooks and NREL to do together? Give your AI client this address. `https://mcp.apiant.ai` One connection does both: ask your client to act in an app once, or have it build an automation that keeps running. Any client that takes a remote MCP server. Nothing to install. Create your free account, then sign in once in your browser. ### Set it up in your client ### Claude Code Run this in the directory you want to work in. `claude mcp add --transport http -s project apiant-ai https://mcp.apiant.ai` Start Claude Code there, approve the server, and sign in in the browser page it opens. [Claude Code guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp/claude-code) ### Claude, web and desktop Open Customize, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and paste the address. On Team and Enterprise an owner adds it first. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Cursor Add the address to your MCP configuration as a server URL. Cursor signs you in in your browser. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Zed Open Settings, then AI, then MCP Servers, then Add Server, then Add Remote Server. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Codex and the ChatGPT desktop app Open Settings, then MCP servers, then Add server, and choose Streamable HTTP. From the terminal, Codex takes the address with its own add command and then signs you in. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Any other MCP client Paste the address where the client asks for a remote MCP server URL, and name the server apiant-ai where it lets you. APIANT's skills reach the client over the same connection. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) Example flows ## What FreshBooks can start in NREL - When **New Bill** in FreshBooks then **Estimate solar energy production** in NREL - When **New Client** in FreshBooks then **Find nearest alternative fuel stations** in NREL Starting points drawn from the triggers and actions in the catalog today. Describe the flow you need, at any depth, and your agent builds it and tests every scenario before it ships. Everything your agent can do with FreshBooks and NREL ## Triggers and actions 16 triggers · 34 actions - Trigger **New Bill** Triggers when a new bill is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Client** Triggers when a new client is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Credit Note** Triggers when a new credit note is created in your FreshBooks account. - Trigger **New Estimate** Triggers when a new estimate is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Expense** Triggers when a new expense is recorded in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Filtered Invoice** Triggers when a new invoice matching your chosen filters (client, status, currency, amount, and more) is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Invoice** Triggers when a new invoice is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Invoice Payment** Triggers when a new invoice payment is created. - Trigger **New Project** Triggers when a new project is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Staff Member** Triggers when a new staff member is added to your FreshBooks business. - Trigger **New Time Entry** Triggers when a new time entry is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **New Vendor** Triggers when a new bill vendor is created in FreshBooks. - Trigger **Updated Bill** Triggers when a bill is updated in FreshBooks. Returns the id of the updated bill and the account, business and user it belongs to. - Trigger **Updated Estimate** Triggers when an estimate is updated. - Trigger **Updated Invoice** Triggers when an invoice is updated in FreshBooks. - Trigger **Updated Vendor** Triggers when a bill vendor is updated in FreshBooks. - Action **Add Payment to Invoice** Records a payment against a FreshBooks invoice and returns the created payment. - Action **Create Bill** Creates a bill in FreshBooks recording what your business owes a vendor, with its line items. - Action **Create Client** Creates a new client in your FreshBooks business, with contact details, billing and shipping addresses, and optional secondary contacts. - Action **Create Credit Note** Creates a credit note or prepayment credit for a client in FreshBooks. - Action **Create Estimate** Creates a new estimate for a client in FreshBooks, optionally with line items. - Action **Create Expense** Creates an expense in your FreshBooks business, with its amount, category, date and optional vendor, client, project and taxes. - Action **Create Invoice** Creates a new invoice for a client in FreshBooks, with optional line items, terms and notes. New invoices start as drafts unless a status is given. - Action **Create Invoice PDF** Returns the PDF of an existing FreshBooks invoice as a file you can attach or store. - Action **Create or Update Client** Updates an existing FreshBooks client (by Client ID, or by matching email) or creates a new client when none matches. - Action **Create or Update Invoice** Updates an existing FreshBooks invoice (by Invoice ID, or by matching Invoice Number), or creates a new invoice when none matches. - Action **Create Other Income** Records income received outside of an invoice, such as online store sales, rentals or advertising, in FreshBooks. - Action **Create Project** Creates a new project in FreshBooks, optionally linked to a client, with a fixed price or hourly rate. - Action **Create Recurring Invoice** Creates a recurring invoice profile in FreshBooks that generates invoices for a client on a set schedule. - Action **Create Time Entry** Creates a time entry recording time spent working for a client or project in FreshBooks. - Action **Create Vendor** Creates a bill vendor (a supplier you receive bills from) in your FreshBooks business. - Action **Find Bill** Finds bills in FreshBooks by id, vendor, status or currency and returns the matches. - Action **Find Client** Finds clients in your FreshBooks business by email, name, organization, phone or other details, and returns the matches. - Action **Find Credit Note** Finds a credit note in FreshBooks by its id and returns the credit note's details. - Action **Find Estimate** Finds estimates in FreshBooks matching an estimate number, client, status, notes, date or amount range, and other criteria. - Action **Find Invoice** Finds invoices in your FreshBooks account matching the criteria you give, such as invoice number, client, status, dates or amounts. - Action **Find Project** Finds FreshBooks projects whose title contains the given text, optionally limited to active or completed projects. - Action **Find Vendor** Finds bill vendors in your FreshBooks account whose business name matches the text you give. - Action **Send Estimate** Emails an existing estimate to the listed recipients and marks it as sent. - Action **Send Invoice** Emails an existing invoice to the recipients you choose and marks it as sent. - Action **Update Bill** Updates an existing bill from a vendor, such as its dates, bill number, line items or status. - Action **Update Credit Note** Updates an existing credit note in FreshBooks, changing only the details you fill in. - Action **Update Estimate** Updates an existing FreshBooks estimate's client, dates, address details, notes, terms or line items. Only the fields you fill in are changed. - Action **Update Time Entry** Updates an existing time entry in FreshBooks, such as its duration, note, client or project. - Action **Update Vendor** Updates an existing bill vendor's name, contact details, address and preferences. Fields left blank are not changed. - Action **Estimate solar energy production** Estimates the energy production of a grid-connected photovoltaic system at a location using NREL PVWatts V8, returning annual and monthly AC output, solar radiation and capacity factor. - Action **Find nearest alternative fuel stations** Returns the alternative fuel stations nearest to a given latitude and longitude, ordered by distance, with optional filters such as fuel type, status, access and EV network. - Action **Find utility rates** Returns the annual average residential, commercial and industrial electricity rates ($/kWh) and the local utility company names for a location (2012 data). - Action **Get alternative fuel station** Returns the full details of one alternative fuel station by its station ID. - Action **List alternative fuel stations** Returns alternative fuel stations matching your filters, such as fuel type, state, ZIP code, access, status and EV charging network. ## Each app on its own - [ **FreshBooks** FreshBooks is a cloud accounting software designed exclusively for self-employed professionals and their...](https://apiant.ai/connections/freshbooks) - [ **NREL** Government developer portal providing APIs for renewable energy, alternative fuel, buildings, and climate...](https://apiant.ai/connections/nrel) Reviews ## What our customers say ## More from FreshBooks - [ **FreshBooks to HubSpot** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-hubspot) - [ **FreshBooks to Salesforce** Salesforce is a leading enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-salesforce) - [ **FreshBooks to Slack** Slack is a messaging platform for teams. Post messages, manage channels, users, reminders, and react to...](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-slack) - [ **FreshBooks to Google Sheets** Google Sheets](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-google-sheets) - [ **FreshBooks to Gmail** Gmail is Google’s email service, featuring spam protection, search functions, and seamless integration with...](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-gmail) - [ **FreshBooks to Google Calendar** Google Calendar is a time management tool providing scheduling features, event reminders, and integration...](https://apiant.ai/connect/freshbooks-to-google-calendar) ## More into NREL - [ **HubSpot to NREL** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/hubspot-to-nrel) - [ **Salesforce to NREL** Salesforce is a leading enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/salesforce-to-nrel) - [ **Slack to NREL** Slack is a messaging platform for teams. Post messages, manage channels, users, reminders, and react to...](https://apiant.ai/connect/slack-to-nrel) - [ **Google Sheets to NREL** Google Sheets](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-sheets-to-nrel) - [ **Gmail to NREL** Gmail is Google’s email service, featuring spam protection, search functions, and seamless integration with...](https://apiant.ai/connect/gmail-to-nrel) - [ **Google Calendar to NREL** Google Calendar is a time management tool providing scheduling features, event reminders, and integration...](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-calendar-to-nrel) Questions ## FreshBooks and NREL, answered ### ### What can start an automation from FreshBooks? Any of FreshBooks's 16 triggers in the catalog, including New Bill, New Client, New Credit Note and New Estimate. Describe the moment in plain language and your agent picks the right one. ### ### What can your agent do in NREL when something happens in FreshBooks? Any of NREL's 5 actions, including Estimate solar energy production, Find nearest alternative fuel stations, Find utility rates and Get alternative fuel station. Your agent maps the data both ways and tests every scenario before it ships. ### ### Can it also run from NREL to FreshBooks? NREL has no triggers in the catalog today, so automations start in FreshBooks. If you need the other direction, ask: your agent reads NREL's API documentation and adds it. ### ### Do I have to build a connector for FreshBooks or NREL? No. Both are in the catalog with their triggers and actions. You describe the automation; your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running. ### ### Can my AI client use FreshBooks and NREL without building an automation? Yes. With your AI client connected to APIANT, ask it to do something in either app once and it runs that action on the spot. Ask for an automation and your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running. One connection covers both. ### ### What happens when something fails? Your agent works that out for you. It plans the failure paths along with the happy path, then tests every scenario before it ships. ### ### Is there a free plan? Yes. Every plan includes the agent, including free, and building from your own AI client spends no assistant credits.