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Technical Assistance to Achieve SolSmart Bronze

Sustainable CT is pleased to partner with the Great Plains Institute to bring the national SolSmart designation program to Connecticut communities. The Great Plains Institute will provide municipalities technical assistance to pursue recognition in the SolSmart designation program. SolSmart recognizes local governments that have taken steps to address barriers to solar energy and provides no-cost technical assistance to accelerate the development of local solar energy markets. More than 400 communities have achieved designation as SolSmart Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Through this no-cost assistance program, our technical assistance provider will work directly with communities that are registered in Sustainable CT to lay out a path to achieve SolSmart designation.

Roles / Responsibilities

Technical Assistance Provider will:

  • Review your municipality’s zoning requirements and identify restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development. Technical assistance providers will compile their findings in a memo.

  • Create a web-ready checklist detailing the required permit(s), submittals, and steps of your community’s solar permitting process.

  • Provide a training for building inspectors, permitting, and inspection staff on solar PV and/or solar and storage systems technologies and best practices for permitting/inspecting as well as a training on best practices in planning and zoning for solar PV for planning staff.

  • Identify pathway, for communities to achieve SolSmart Bronze and develop a workplan for each community.

  • Identify quantifiable metrics and/or specific actions for solar PV development in the most current version of relevant plans (e.g., energy plan, climate plan, plan of conservation and development).

Municipality will:

  • Sign a SolSmart Solar Statement, indicating intent to begin the SolSmart designation program.

  • Coordinate with technical assistance partners on an ongoing basis; participate in check-in meetings, share requested documents, identify a municipality-specific pathway towards SolSmart designation.

  • Participate and implement recommendations of the tecnical assistance partners as desired, understanding that successful completion of such recommendations are necessary for at least SolSmart Bronze designation.

Letters of Interest

Interested municipalities should complete and send their SolSmart Solar Statement electronically to [email protected]. Letters will be accepted on a rolling basis.