clean power

New IREC Report Identifies Strategies for Permitting Solar Rooftops

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) today released Sharing Success - Emerging Approaches to Efficient Rooftop Solar Permitting, a new report that outlines innovative strategies being implemented across the United States to help increase the efficiency of permitting procedures for rooftop solar systems.  The report aims to serve as both a vehicle for discussion of permitting challenges, and as a source of inspiration for communities looking for realistic and effective ways to improve solar permitting while ensuring safe solar installations.

"IREC has been a leading resource for city and county building officials by providing field inspection guidelines and workshops," said Jane Weissman, IREC's Executive Director.  "The Sharing Success report becomes another valuable tool to help jurisdictions ensure safe solar installations in their community."

Sky Stanfield, Erica Schroeder and Thad Culley of Keyes, Fox & Wiedman LLP prepared the Sharing Success report after extensive one-on-one conversations with cities and counties regarding their permitting processes and the specific improvements they were putting in place. "As we spoke with city and county staff and solar installers, we came to appreciate the need to develop methods that would result in efficiency improvements for both entities," said Sky Stanfield, lead author of the report. "We found that communities are identifying permitting improvements that can save time for everyone involved."

IREC found that the dramatic increase in the volume of solar applications is placing a burden on local permitting agencies. As a result, the desire for increased efficiency comes not only from solar installers but also from municipal staff. 

Solar Leasing and Solar as a Revenue Generator for Local Governments

ICLEI’s partner, The Solar Foundation, has released two new fact sheets for local governments:

• Leasing Municipal and Private Property for Solar: Key Steps and Considerations (pdf)
  The resource provides readers with general guidance on how to unlock the revenue potential of idle property by leasing land and roof space for solar development.
  
  
• Solar as a Revenue Generator for Local Governments: (pdf)
  This resource demonstrates how cities and counties across the nation have leveraged solar for their fiscal benefit.
  

The Solar Foundation created these as part of its efforts under the Solar Outreach Partnership, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. As a member of this partnership, The Solar Foundation helps provide information and technical expertise to local governments interested in implementing solar programs and policies.

The More Local the Energy, the More Valuable

John Farrell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance posted this great chart on their website that is worth reposting for ICLEI members. John's take-home: Local ownership of a wind project accounts for half of its lifetime economic value to the community!

LBNL's New Clean Energy Program Policy Briefs

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released three new clean energy financing policy briefs today on Clean Energy Works Oregon, the Indianapolis Ecohouse Project Loan program and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

Survey Results Shed Light on Solar Energy Challenges, Opportunities

Get EPA's Clean Energy Financing Decision Tool & Guide

States and communities are increasingly investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy to achieve their air quality, economic, and energy goals. They can do this by adopting clean energy financing programs that can make efficiency and renewable energy more affordable for their residential, commercial, and municipal sectors.

EPA's State and Local Climate and Clean Energy Program is supporting these efforts with the launch of a new online Financing Program Decision Tool and a Financing Program Decision Guide.

Financing Program Decision Tool

This Tool is designed for state and local staff in the early stages of choosing a clean energy financing program. Answer a handful of simple questions, and the Tool highlights quickly the most promising program options for your jurisdiction to pursue.

View the Tool

Financing Program Decision Guide

This Guide complements the Tool, and includes the basics on financing-program options, as well as key considerations and factors for states and communities to weigh as they
start up or expand their clean energy financing programs.

View the Tool

Solar America Cities Podcast: Solar in Tucson

Listen to a new podcast from ICLEI's partner, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA):

Bruce Plenk, the City of Tucson’s Solar Energy Coordinator, discusses Tucson's work as one of the Department of Energy's 25 Solar America Cities. Tucson was named as a Solar America City in 2007 and the city has worked to increase installations on municipal buildings, revise zoning ordinances, and make solar more accessible to residents through a solar ready homes ordinance.  This podcast explores the city’s successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Learn more about Tucson's work as a Solar America City here.

Listen to the Podcast

San Antonio Wins Award for Its Energy Leadership

Laurence Doxsey (center), Director of San Antonio’s Office of Environmental Policy, accepts the City's award at the CATEE 2011 Conference. Photo credit: Gali Zilbershtein

Congratulations to the City of San Antonio for winning the Outstanding Government Organization Award at last week's Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency (CATEE) Conference in Dallas.

Since adopting its Mission Verde Sustainability Plan, unveiled by Mayor Julian Castro in 2009 to coordinate efforts toward developing a green economy, San Antonio has achieved great things in energy efficiency and clean energy.

City of Austin Is Largest Local Government to Go 100% Green Powered

The City of Austin municipal government is switching to 100% clean, renewable energy starting Oct. 1, 2011 – becoming the largest local government in America to power all of its facilities with 100% green energy.

All facilities from neighborhood libraries and recreation centers to police and fire stations are subscribing to Austin Energy’s nationally recognized GreenChoice® renewable energy product.

In all, the City of Austin is subscribing to about 400 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy. Only the City of Houston buys more renewable energy for its municipal facilities at 438 million kWh but that amount accounts for just 34 percent of its energy use.

Solar Photovoltaic Economic Development: Building and Growing a Local PV Industry

Check out this new report from the Department of Energy for an introduction on how local economic development offices can set informed recruitment targets for renewable energy. This report was released through the Solar America Communities program.

Download the Report (pdf)

From the report overview:

This report was developed to help communities evaluate opportunities in the photovoltaic (PV) industry and develop a strategic approach appropriate to a specific community. The document provides the information for communities to:

1. Build an understanding of the various sectors of the PV industry, metrics, differentiation, and trends in each segment
2. Build an understanding of site selection processes and criteria for each industry segment, and the potential economic benefits of each segment
3. Begin to evaluate the city’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential to change within the context of the industry segments
4. Understand tools and programs used to encourage investment and economic development. Use these tools to reinforce strengths, improve weaknesses, and market to the PV industry over the long term. This report summarizes the PV industry, but further information and reading may be important to city-specific efforts. Appendix A describes additional resources.