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California Solar Energy Facility Permit Streamlining Guide
February 2012by: Tim Snellings, Jennifer BarrettThis guide is designed to help counties in California develop zoning regulations and permitting processes to streamline solar development. -
Local Government Project Portal: Goal-Setting Guidance
August 2018This guide is designed to help cities and counties set goals for producing or using renewable energy, including solar energy. -
Solar+Storage for Low- and Moderate-Income Communities: A Guide for States and Municipalities
March 2017by: Todd Olinsky-PaulThis guide is designed to help states and local governments analyze opportunities to support solar development with battery storage for the benefit of low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. -
Standards and Requirements for Solar Equipment, Installation, and Licensing and Certification: A Guide for States and Municipalities
February 2017by: Ben Inskeep, Beren ArgetsingerThis guide is designed to help states and local governments develop and revise technical standards and requirements to meet solar development goals. -
The Guide to Developing Solar Photovoltaics at Massachusetts Landfills
August 2016This guide is designed to help local governments in Massachusetts develop solar projects on landfills. -
The Northwest Community Solar Guide
May 2013This guide is designed to help local governments and other stakeholders support or develop community solar projects. -
Quantifying the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: A Guide for State and Local Governments
Revised July 2018by: Denise Mulholland, Julie Rosenberg, Carolyn SnyderThis guide provides governments and policymakers an analytical framework, various tools, and case studies to quantify benefits from energy efficiency and renewable energy. -
Tompkins County, NY, Tools to Promote and Regulate the Deployment of Renewable Energy Systems
June 2017This guide provides municipalities in Tompkins County, NY, with regulatory recommendations for crafting wind and solar ordinances aligned with the county comprehensive plan. -
Buying Clean Electricity: How Cities Benefit from Power Purchase Agreements
September 2018by: Jessica Leung, Amy BaileyThis briefing paper explores the power purchase agreement (PPA) model as an approach to purchasing renewable energy. -
Vermont Guidance for Municipal Enhanced Energy Planning Standards
March 2017This guide helps Vermont municipalities develop enhanced energy plans, aiding with existing energy conditions, establishing local targets aligned with state energy goals, and mapping renewable energy development potential. -
Handbook on Siting Renewable Energy Projects While Addressing Environmental Issues
2015This guide provides an overview of, and resources for, siting renewable energy projects on environmentally degraded lands. -
Historic Districts and Landmarks Guidelines
Updated 2006This guide addresses the placement of solar panels on historic buildings. -
Idaho Springs, CO, Design Guidelines for Historic Structures
2007The city's historic structure design guidelines address the placement of solar panels on historic structures. -
How to Solar Now: A Solar Energy Toolkit for Your Community
January 2021This toolkit is designed to help communities in New York's Hudson Valley and beyond update zoning regulations and improve land-use decision-making processes for large-scale solar development. -
Farmland Solar Policy Design Toolkit
May 2020by: Genevieve ByrneThis guide is designed to help state and local officials understand how different state and local policy options affect opportunities to site solar projects on farmland. -
Going Solar in Georgia: Opportunities for Local Governments
2016by: Jessica Alcorn, Shana Jones, John O'LooneyThis guide is designed to help cities and counties in Georgia promote solar energy use by both developing on public property and supporting residential solar development. -
Sustainable Development Code
2021by: Jonathan RosenbloomThis guide belongs to the Hazard Mitigation, Home Occupations, Housing Supply Planning, Solar Energy, Urban Agriculture, Wildland-Urban Interface, Wind Energy, and Zoning Reform and Code Writing collections. -
Aurora, CO, Sustainable Infill and Redevelopment Design Handbook
2012by:This handbook and design guidelines address Housing Supply Planning, Residential Infill Development, and Solar Energy. -
Butte County, CA, Butte Utility-Scale Solar Guide
September 2017This guide is designed to help solar developers and other community stakeholders understand opportunities for large-scale solar development in Butte County, California. -
Georgia Model Solar Zoning Ordinance Guide
Version 1.0, July 2018This guide is designed to help cities and counties use the Georgia Model Solar Zoning Ordinance to develop solar regulations for different types of solar energy systems. -
Solar Energy Financing Guide: Empowering Wisconsin Local Governments
May 2017by: Sherrie GruderThis guide is designed to help local governments in Wisconsin understand financing options for solar development. -
Frederick, MD, Frederick Town Historic District Design Guidelines
June 2019This guide provides design standards for the installation of solar panels on structures within historic districts. -
Torrance, CA, Checklist for Solar Panel Installation
Updated February 2017This document lists permit requirements for solar panel and photovoltaic systems. -
Goodyear, AZ, Design Guidelines Manual
Adopted June 2014The city's design guidelines encourage solar site design and solar energy system rooftop installations and parking lot shade structures. -
Santa Barbara, CA, Solar Energy System Design Guidelines and Solar Recognition Program
Adopted December 2006This guide discusses general principles and specific techniques for designing well integrated, visually appealing solar systems. -
Supporting Community-Centered Solar Development: A Guide to Hosting Community Conversations About Large-Scale Solar Development
December 2024This guide outlinesĀ an eight-step process for planning and facilitating discussions about large-scale solar development and its local impact on communities. -
Connecticut Rooftop Solar PV Permitting Guide
May 2014This guideĀ provides recommendations and resources for local communities on improving their solar energy system permit application forms and instructions, information availability, review and inspection requirements, and permit fees. -
Cape Coral, FL, Photovoltaic Checklist
by:This guide provides a checklist and supporting information on the city's solar photovoltaic permitting and installation processes and requirements. -
New York Using Special Use Permits and Site Plan Regulations to Allow Large-Scale Solar Installations While Protecting Farmland
This guide offers information to help New York local governments understand tools used for siting large-scale solar systems in agricultural districts while also ensuring that productive farmland remains operational. -
New York Solar Installations in Agricultural Districts
This guide offers information to help New York local governments navigate the development of solar projects that comply with existing farmland protection policies. -
Williams, CA, Design Review Manual
The city's design guidelines promote solar orientation and solar panel installations integrated into roof design for both residential and nonresidential development.Williams, CA -
San Jose, CA, Building Division Informational Handout: Photovoltaic Systems
This informational handout offers a list of requirements for various plan reviews and permit requirements for solar energy installations within the city.San Jose, CA -
Santa Monica, CA, Basic Information Required for Photovoltaic Plan Check Submittal
This document provides a list of application submission requirements to obtain a building permit for an accessory photovoltaic solar system.Santa Monica, CA -
Bellingham, WA, Multifamily Residential Design Guidelines
These design guidelines address optimizing solar access for multifamily residential development.Bellingham, WA -
Miami-Dade County, FL, High Velocity Hurricane Zone Solar Systems Electronic Permit Application
This permitting checklist lists requirements for solar energy system permits in high-velocity hurricane zones.Miami-Dade County, FL -
Montgomery County, MD, Germantown Urban Design Guidelines
These design guidelines written for the Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan emphasize sustainable building design principles, including solar orientation and use of solar panels.Montgomery County, MD -
Get Started With Solar!
This guide from an environmental nonprofit organization provides ten basic steps for homeowners toward installing solar energy systems on their properties.Santa Barbara, CA -
Park City, UT, Design Guidelines for Historic Districts and Historic Sites
The city's historic design guidelines address the placement of solar panels on historic resources.Park City, UT -
Sebastopol, CA, Design Review Guidelines
The city's design review guidelines address solar orientation.Sebastopol, CA -
Design Guidelines for Historic Sites and Districts in Montgomery County, Maryland
The county's historic design guidelines provide guidance for installing solar panels on historic buildings without changing building character.Montgomery County, MD -
Rancho Cordova, CA, Design Guidelines
The city's design guidelines promote solar site design and the use of rooftop solar energy systems.Rancho Cordova, CA -
Historic District Guidelines Martinsville, Virginia
The city's historic district guidelines recommend solar panel placement that is unobtrusive as possible.Martinsville, VA -
McCall, ID, Design Guidelines
The city's design guidelines address solar access to buildings and recommend unobtrusive locations for solar panel placement.McCall, ID -
Phoenix, AZ, General Guidelines for Historic Properties
The city's historic property design guidelines addresses location and screening of solar equipment.Phoenix, AZ -
Guidelines for Solar Photovoltaic Installation
The Fire Department published guidelines for solar PV system installation that mitigate fire-safety issues of rooftop installations.West Covina, CA -
Guide to Installing a Solar Electric System
This guidebook from Seattle's municipal utility provides residents and business owners with information on selecting and installing grid-connected solar electric systems.Seattle, WA -
Green Permit Program Solar Panel - Project Submittal Checklist
This guide offers a project submittal checklist for solar panel projects as part of the city's Green Permit Program.
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