Rooftop Solar Challenge: Empowering Innovators to Reach for the Sun

THE ROOFTOP SOLAR CHALLENGE: Empowering America to Go Solar THE CHALLENGE Empower state and local governments to make it faster, easier and cheaper for American families and businesses to go solar. Twenty-two teams from 19 states and Puerto Rico took on the challenge – devising creative solutions to streamline rooftop solar installations for area residents. THE TEAMS WASHINGTON COLORADO MINNESOTA WISCONSIN ILLINOIS MASSACHUSETTS Washington State Department of Commerce Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association Minnesota Department of Commerce Midwest Renewable Energy Association City of Chicago Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources CONNECTICUT CALIFORNIA Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority California Center for Sustainable Energy NEW YORK Contra Costa Economic Partnership City University of New York SolarTech PENNSYLVANIA Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) NEVADA Nevada State Office of Energy WEST VIRGINIA Geostellar, Inc. ARIZONA TENNESSEE FLORIDA Arizona Governor's Office of Energy Policy Broward County University of Tennessee UTAH TEXAS Salt Lake City Corporation KANSAS & MISSOURI City of San Antonio Mid-America PUERTO RICO* CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, UTAH, & COLORADO Regional Council Puerto Rico Energy Affairs Administration (PREAA) Optony, Ic. THE APPROACH 0000 TACKLE THE STREAMLINE COLLABORATE SOFT COSTS PROCESSES Lack of streamlined processes across the country increase time and expenses when going solar: In the U.S., there are 18,000 jurisdictions, 5,000 utilities and 50 states with Rooftop solar panels cost about 1% of what they did 35 years ago. It's the non-hardware "soft costs" of solar, including permitting, zoning and connection fees, that remain the biggest price barrier – making up as much as 60% of a single rooftop solar installation. The teams brought together city, county and state officials, regulatory entities, private industry, universities, local utilities, and other stakeholders to clear a path for rapid expansion of solar energy and to serve as models for communities across the country. different rules and regulations related to solar installations. THE RESULTS Helped neighbors go solar together by spurring group purchasing programs, driving down total system costs by up to 20%. Eliminated the Shortened Made it faster, easier and cheaper for more than 47 paper chase by putting permitting and plug-in approval permitting wait time by 40% and reduced permitting fees by 12%. million Americans processes online for millions. to go solar. *Puerto Rico not shown on map. O ENERGY.GOV