Resource Library

The American Wind Energy Association offers a model zoning ordinance to help local officials update ordinances governing small wind turbine installations. This template serves as a starting point that can save planning and permitting staff valuable time.

The Distributed Wind Energy Association has developed a set of model ordinances to assist in creating zoning consistencies for distributed wind turbines. Its model ordinance covers distributed wind turbines up to and including 100 kW.

MPower is a multi-stakeholder, collaborative effort in Oregon that has embraced a strong partnership between funders, utilities, building owners, workforce, and other stakeholders to pilot an innovative model for energy and water efficiency financing. This document outlines the challenges inherent in existing approaches to financing efficiency in this sector and highlights the features of MPower that make it unique and viable for delivering on the promise of efficiency investment.

The City of Berkeley's EV page provides constituents with considerations for potential EV owners, information about the permitting and inspection process, as well as financial resources and incentives in an easy-to-follow format. This format can be adopted by other jurisdictions' municipal web sites.

The City of Pierre's two municipal connected heat pumps, located at the South Dakota Discovery Center and Pierre City Hall, demonstrate that water-to-air heat pumps can provide a viable heating and cooling source for buildings where traditional energy conservation techniques cannot be used.

This new Residential Zone Update in Lancaster, CA requires developers to provide solar on homes in new developments, or purchase equivalent solar energy credits from other facilities in the City. The first hyperlink is a 1 page flyer describing the new requirement, and the second hyperlink is a reprint of the actual ordinance.

This new Municipal Ordinance in Sebastopol, CA requires solar on new homes. The hyperlink below is a 1 page flyer describing the new rules.

This step-by-step guide is intended to be a resource for project managers and decisionmakers interested in collaborating on a multi-jurisdictional solar group purchase for municipal facilities. By the end of the process, participants in a regional group will have solar PV installed on their facilities at an affordable price by leveraging collective purchasing power.

The DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium shares technical information and experiences related to LED street and area lighting demonstrations and serves as an objective resource for evaluating new products on the market intended for those applications. Cities, power providers, and others who invest in street and area lighting are invited to join the Consortium and share their experiences. The goal is to build a repository of valuable field experience and data that will significantly accelerate the learning curve for buying and implementing high-quality, energy-efficient LED lighting.

This resource provides a template application packet with terms and conditions for a public utility-sponsored community solar program. In Seattle City Light's program, each solar unit is estimated to produce 50 kWh of electricity per year through June 2020 when the program ends. There is a one-time, up-front cost of $600 per solar unit.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District works with new customers to help ensure water supply for the next generation. To support water conservation goals, water service will be furnished to applicants for new or expanded service only when all applicable water-efficiency measures have been installed - at applicant expense. Customers applying for water meters to serve two or less residential units must provide self-certification of compliance with a signed Section 31 Water Efficiency Requirements Checklist. Applicants requesting water service for three or more residential units or for non-residential projects must supply plumbing and landscaping plans for review. Applicants for smaller services are welcome to take advantage of this free plan review. Links below provide access to Water Efficiency Requirements as well as the checklist used for compliance.

The model zoning code provides a height limitation exemption for solar installations. The zoning code also allows for preservation plans in historic districts to incorporate sustainability measures, including solar and efficiency.

NABCEP is a non-profit organization that works with the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, professionals, and stakeholders to develop and implement quality credentialing and certification programs for practitioners. Currently, it offers professional certification for solar PV and solar water heating installers, as well as a PV technical sales certification. Professional resource guides for installers are attached below.

The Solar Heating Installer Resource Guide was written for those individuals seeking Solar Heating Installer Certification through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). This guide provides an overview of solar heating technology and discusses a number of skills required for successful installation of these systems.

Napa County's two page guide to permitting EVSE equipment contains the permit application requirements (which includes the EV Charging Station Worksheet), a step-by-step guide to the permitting process, as well as contact information and a link to the inspection information.

The following table, compiled by the consumer education blog ClearlyEnergy, lists demand response programs offered by a range of utilities across the country, including rebate and financial incentive programs that encourage reductions in electricity consumption during periods of extreme peak demand.

Clean Cities’ National Clean Fleets Partnership establishes strategic alliances with large fleets to help them explore and adopt alternative fuels and fuel economy measures to cut petroleum use. The initiative leverages the strength of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions, almost 18,000 stakeholders, and more than 20 years of experience. It provides fleets with top-level support, technical assistance, robust tools and resources, and public acknowledgement to help meet and celebrate fleets’ petroleum-use reduction.

These guidelines are intended to serve as a starting point for local preservation commissions developing their own guidelines for solar panels.

An Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) or energy efficiency target is a mechanism to encourage more efficient generation, transmission, and use of electricity. An EERS is similar in concept to a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) or Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), in that an EERS requires utilities to reduce energy use by a specified and increasing percentage or amount each year. This interactive map displays the range of EERSs in states across the country.

This 5 page document provides a comprehensive list of aspects of a solar PV installation that could be reviewed, clarifying what the codes do and do not require. It is based on the requirements found in Article 690 of the 2005, 2008, 2011 National Electrical Codes (NEC).

Examples of how two states have used legislative and regulatory solutions to address the challenges of net metering Third-Party owned systems.

Net metering policies apply to all utilities in California except LADWP. The hyperlink below is a snapshot of the DSIRE website that gives and overview of California net metering policies.

The General Services Administration’s Net-Zero Energy Task Group, a part of the federal agency's Green Building Advisory Committee, developed recommendations to strengthen net zero energy commitments for new and existing federal buildings and federal leased buildings. According to the report, the adoption of net zero energy policies will result in immediate operational cost savings, will be the most fiscally sound long-term strategy for the federal building portfolio, and will help the federal government lead the net zero movement in the United States.

Allowing for electronic wet stamps and building permit submittal can help shorten the time required to process solar permits. Click on the hyperlink below to view Nevada's New Electronic Stamping Regulations.

An aggressive approach to securing a solar easement whereby the owner of a solar collector may claim a “solar right” by filing a declaration with the county clerk. The first hyperlink displays New Mexico's Solar Rights brochure. The second hyperlink provides a template declaration form to be filed with the state.