Why Should You Apply?
SolSmart designation brings many advantages to local governments and the local solar industry.
Save Money
- Eliminating red tape and making approval processes more efficient can save local governments time and money, helping communities better manage constrained budgets and limited taxpayer resources.
- Reducing solar “soft costs” can increase return on investment for solar customers. Soft costs are non-hardware costs, such as local permitting requirements, that represent up to two-thirds of the cost of an installed residential system. Complex or poorly-defined local government processes can add up to $2,500 to the cost of going solar.
Grow the Local Economy
- Improving local processes for going solar can improve business prospects for solar companies. More than one-third of solar installation companies say they avoid serving communities because of permitting difficulties.
Help Your Community
- Your community will receive national recognition through the SolSmart website, media campaign mentions, and other means.
- You’ll have an opportunity to receive awards for exceeding basic program requirements and further distinguishing your community from its peers.
Learn about SolSmart’s Criteria for designation
