SolSmart Program Guides (2023)

The SolSmart program guides are comprehensive resources for local governments with information on the SolSmart designation and technical assistance process. Participants should download the program guide that corresponds to their designation pathway. The Standard Pathway is for local governments that control permitting, inspection, planning, and zoning. The Modified Pathway is for local governments that do not control one or more of these processes. The Regional Pathway is for multi-jurisdictional organizations such as regional councils or councils of governments. If you are unsure which pathway applies to your community, contact the SolSmart team.

We recommend that local government officials review the program guide as a first step toward pursuing SolSmart designation. It includes a detailed overview of the SolSmart designation criteria, with links to templates, useful resources, and relevant examples from designated communities. If you have any questions about the materials in the program guide, the SolSmart technical assistance team is happy to help.

(Please note that these represent the latest versions of the Program Guides as updated in March 2023. Legacy Program Guides from 2022 can be found here.)

We also offer versions of the program guides as pages on this website, although we recommend reading through the PDF guides for more detail. You can find the webpages below:

Standard Pathway:

• Prerequisites
• Community Engagement
• Government Operations
• Innovative Action
• Market Development
• Permitting and Inspection
• Planning and Zoning

Modified Pathway:

• Prerequisites
• Community Engagement
• Government Operations
• Innovative Action
• Market Development
• Planning

Regional Pathway:

• Prerequisites
• Community Engagement
• Innovative Action
• Market Development
• Operational Support
• Planning