We’re excited to welcome the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) as the latest SolSmart Advisor, focused on helping local governments expand solar energy use in Southeastern states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, and Alabama!

SolSmart Advisors are the backbone of the program, providing intensive, locally-focused assistance to help municipalities and counties in their region expand solar energy use. The latest round of Advisors will be focused on helping underserved and under-resourced communities achieve SolSmart designation.

NCCETC, part of the College of Engineering at NC State University, is a respected nonprofit whose mission is to “advance a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies practices, and policies.” The organization is no stranger to the SolSmart program: NCCETC served in a previous round of SolSmart Advisors and helped eight communities achieve designation in North Carolina and Virginia.

In the coming months, NCCETC will be helping more communities in the Southeastern United States meet the criteria for SolSmart designation. Parts of this region have experienced rapid solar energy growth in recent years: North Carolina now ranks fourth for the amount of solar installed, while South Carolina ranks 13th. In partnership with the nonprofit Energy Alabama, NCCETC will also be reaching out to communities in Alabama, one of the eight states where there are no SolSmart designees so far (but abundant solar energy potential)!

Staff for NCCETC say they are excited to begin the work. “It is my goal to reduce communities’ workload by providing and interpreting SolSmart’s comprehensive resources,” said Senior Project Manager Elizabeth Bowen. Senior Project Manager David Sarkisian adds that he hopes to “build new relationships across the South and set up a strong foundation for future work in the region.”

Please join us in welcoming NCCETC back to the SolSmart team! If your community would like to seek opportunities to work with NCCETC, contact SolSmart today.