SolSmart: An Invitation to Sign Up or Level Up!

Key Takeaways

Since 2016, NACo has been a proud partner of SolSmart, a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. A collaborative effort led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the International City/County Management Association, SolSmart provides no-cost technical assistance and official recognition to local governments looking to advance solar energy use in their jurisdictions.  

The SolSmart program is now expanding to add 500 new SolSmart designees by 2027, doubling the total number of solar-friendly communities nationwide. As part of this expansion, SolSmart has released updated designation criteria with an emphasis on clean energy equity, national codes and standards, innovative financing, data collection and metrics and solar-adjacent technologies like battery storage. To advance the mission, SolSmart also launched a brand new Platinum Designation to recognize cutting-edge achievements in solar planning. 

“NACo is pleased to partner with SolSmart to assist counties in achieving local energy goals. Expansion of the SolSmart program will enable more counties to access resources and pursue opportunities to be recognized as solar-leading communities.”  

– NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase

A primary goal of SolSmart is to reduce solar “soft costs,” the non-hardware costs that include permitting, financing and installation. These costs make up about two-thirds of the cost of a solar installation. Actions that local governments take can significantly reduce soft costs to encourage solar market growth at the local level.  

To date, more than 488 cities, towns, counties and regional organizations have participated in the program and have been rewarded with the prestigious SolSmart designation. Of these participants, 63 counties are officially recognized as Solsmart Designees.  

• 22 Counties have the Bronze Designation for increasing transparency with an online permitting checklist and zoning review. 
• 17 Counties have the Silver Designation for training permitting and inspection staff on solar best practices. 
• 24 have the Gold Designation for achieving a three-day solar permitting turnaround and codified zoning ordinances to remove obstacles to solar. 

All counties are invited to join SolSmart and receive no-cost technical assistance to achieve designation. Those counties that are already SolSmart-designated are invited to “level up” to designation as Silver, Gold or Platinum.  If your county is interested in SolSmart, start by reading the program guide to learn more. Next, complete the contact form to set up a call with a SolSmart technical assistance provider. The technical assistance provider will learn more about your community’s solar energy goals and guide you to the next phase of the program. 

For more information, visit Solsmart.org, or contact Kasantha Moodley, NACo Senior Program Manager, Resilient Economies & Communities.