This page provides a detailed description of each criterion in the Regional Pathway: Community Engagement category. It includes recommended verification for designation review, community examples, templates, and/or resources.
Learn more about the SolSmart designation process here. To access this information in a PDF document, download the SolSmart Program Guide.
Overview: Community Engagement
Regional organizations can be an important and trusted source of information for residents, businesses, and solar installers. Providing clear, high-quality information, public education and inclusive engagement opportunities can help residents and businesses interested in solar energy make informed decisions.
Many of the criteria in the community engagement category can be verified on the organization’s solar webpage by providing information about their solar energy goals and processes in one centralized location.
The Modified Pathway includes 12 Community Engagement criteria, totaling 80 points.
CE-1 (5 Points)
Post online resources about solar installers and/or solar quote platforms for solar PV.
More solar companies operating in your region means residents and businesses are faced with more choices as they consider who to select for their solar project. Providing relevant local information on active solar installers can help community members make the best choice given their circumstances. Post information to the organization’s solar landing page. Information and resources posted should be made available in multiple languages as appropriate for your community. In addition, information and resources should be available to community members in print form if requested.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the relevant information on the solar landing page.
Community Examples:
Templates:
Resources:
CE-2 (5 Points)
Post online resources about residential and commercial solar PV financing options and incentives including an inventory of local incentives (e.g., permit fee waivers or rebates) or locally enabled finance (e.g., a revolving loan fund) for solar PV provided by member communities.
Many different financing options are available for residential and commercial solar PV. Regional organizations can play an important role in providing access to information about available options. Post information to the organization’s solar landing page. Information and resources posted should be made available in multiple languages as appropriate for your community. In addition, information and resources should be available to community members in print form if requested.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the organization’s solar landing page.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-3 (5 Points)
Post online resources about consumer protection and solar PV.
Solar energy can be a new and complex topic for community members. Regional organizations can provide online guides and resources to help community members have a clear understanding of solar PV, allowing them to make informed decisions. Post information to the organization’s solar landing page. Information and resources posted should be made available in multiple languages as appropriate for your community. In addition, information and resources should be available to community members in print form if requested.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the relevant information on the solar landing page.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-4 (5 Points)
Post an online summary of state policies related to a property owner’s solar access and solar rights, including links to state-level policy.
Property owners are often unaware that state policy could impact their property’s solar rights. Solar rights and solar access are terms which describe the ability of property owners to utilize sunlight on their property. Each state has its own unique policy and enforcement regime. Post information to the organization’s solar landing page. Information and resources posted should be made available in multiple languages as appropriate for your community. In addition, information and resources should be available to community members in print form if requested.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the summary on the solar landing page.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-5 (5 Points)
Post resources relevant to instant/automatic permitting (e.g., SolarAPP+) and how they can be adopted in your region.
Regional organizations can help their member communities to learn about and adopt instant/automatic permitting, including SolarAPP+. The solar landing page can provide resources and help communities learn more about how these platforms can help local governments to stay up to date with relevant codes, catch errors, improve communication with applicants, accelerate approval for standardized PV systems, and improve record keeping.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the relevant information on the solar landing page.
Resources:
CE-6 (5 Points)
Post an online solar map for your region.
Solar maps can be a helpful and visual way to communicate solar potential to community members. Solar maps can be customized depending on the goals and needs of the community. For example, solar maps can provide community members with an estimate of the solar potential of their rooftop, they can be used the location of solar installations within a community (which may help residents understand the extent of solar projects happening in different parts of the community), or they may be used to communicate the potential for different solar installations (i.e., residential, commercial, large-scale, community solar, etc).
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the solar map for your region.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-7 (5 Points)
Support a solar informational session and/or solar tour explaining solar PV opportunities and policies. Show that session/tour was made accessible to all member communities including disadvantaged communities. Session/Tour must have occurred within the last 2 years.
Engaged and informed members can encourage solar market growth and increase the likelihood that local homes and businesses will pursue solar installations. Solar informational sessions and solar tours are ways to educate community leaders and the general public about the solar energy and the processes involved with an installation. Regional organizations should ensure that sessions are inclusive and accessible to a diverse audience.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link(s) to details about the solar informational session or tour such as an agenda, date, time, and location and summarize efforts to make sessions inclusive and accessible.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-8 (10 Points)
Establish partnerships with local community-based organizations within your region on strategies for solar PV deployment and/or planned programs or initiatives.
Partnering with organizations that have strong ties with disadvantaged communities is an important way to ensure that solar projects and programs, as well as outreach efforts, are designed to meet the needs of those communities. For example, a reginal organization, local government, a CBO, and a local solar installer could come together to implement a solarize campaign customized to LMI households or to develop a targeted outreach strategy related to a community solar project. The partnership may have a scope that is broader than solar (for example, partnering on a range of climate-related goals or economic development initiatives) as long as it clearly includes solar deployment strategies.
Recommended Verification: Signed memo summarizing the names of partner organizations, scope of the partnership, outcomes (or intended outcomes) and next steps for the partnership.
Resources:
CE-9 (10 Points)
Partner with local colleges, workforce or economic development organizations/commissions, etc. to host renewable energy career fairs, networking events, or jobs trainings.
As local solar markets grow, regional organizations can promote solar job opportunities with community colleges and workforce development organizations to ensure a well-trained, local workforce. The organization should provide technical and monetary assistance, provide connections and information. The event that results as an outcome from this partnership should be publicly co-hosted and marketed by the regional organization.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link(s) to details about the fair, networking event or job training and an agenda, date, time, and location.
Resources:
CE-10 (5 Points)
Demonstrate regional organization support for local solar strategies through speeches, press releases, opinion articles, etc.
Regional organizations can encourage solar market growth by highlighting solar energy goals, initiatives, and success stories through various communications strategies. Share the links and/or videos of communications efforts on the organization’s solar landing page.
Recommended Verification: Provide a link to the relevant information on the solar landing page.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-11 (5 Points)
Discuss solar PV goals and/or strategies for increasing solar PV development within an appropriate committee, commission, taskforce, and/or working group. (e.g., solar is a recurring agenda item during monthly sustainability commission meetings).
An Environmental Advisory Council, Sustainability Committees, or Climate Action Taskforce is a great way to keep members and key stakeholders actively engaged in regional energy policy and development. These groups can assist in the development of solar energy goals and strategies, lead community-based solar initiatives, and provide communication and outreach support to inform members about solar initiatives and plans.
Recommended Verification: Provide meeting minutes (including a list of follow-up action items) or materials prepared for the meeting (e.g., handouts and slides) from within the past year and provide documentation of the regularly scheduled frequency of these meetings.
Community Examples:
Resources:
CE-12 (10 Points)
Provide technical assistance and/or programs or processes to support solar PV development in disadvantaged communities.
Regional organizations can offer targeted assistance to support solar PV development in disadvantaged communities. Many of the strategies previously described including consumer education and engagement, mapping, feasibility assessment, etc. can be scaled down and used to help identify and advance projects in neighborhoods or communities that have been historically underserved.
Recommended Verification: Signed memo summarizing the technical assistance program or process, the community served, and a summary of outcomes.
Resources:
