Read More
SolSmart Designees
Melrose
Massachusetts
Settled in the mid-eighteenth century just seven miles from Boston, the city of Melrose has offered its residents a compromise between a crowded metropolis and the rural outlying region for decades. Featuring several grand old Victorian homes and wetlands, the city has been committed to sustainability and conservation for decades. This history of leadership in sustainable energy is what led Melrose to become the first community in Massachusetts to launch a solar marketing and outreach campaign tailored for nonprofits, houses of worship, and small businesses called “Go Solar Melrose: Big Roof Solar.”
- Created an online permitting checklist, increasing transparency for community members and solar installers.
- Reviewed local zoning codes and identified restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development
In just a few years, over 350 Melrose homeowners, businesses, houses of worship, schools, and our DPW now host solar PV panels on their roofs and more are coming on line every week. The City continues to be committed to reducing barriers to solar adoption and streamlining our internal processes. Stakeholder cooperation was most recently on display during the Big Roof Solar outreach campaign which resulted in three more churches going solar, earning Melrose the first SolSmart Innovation Award.
- Mayor Paul Brodeur
