Lexington Designated 'SolSmart Bronze' For Advancing Solar Energy Growth

Press release from the Town of Lexington:

November 20, 2020

The Town of Lexington is receiving a Bronze designation from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.

This designation recognizes Lexington for taking bold steps to encourage solar energy growth and remove obstacles to solar development. For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Bronze designation is a signal that Lexington is “open for solar business.”

SolSmart is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. More than 380 cities, counties, and small towns have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016.

Designation Process

To receive designation, municipalities make changes to their local processes to reduce the time and money it takes to install a solar energy system. This includes evaluating local permitting processes, as well as planning and zoning procedures. SolSmart designees also develop innovations in areas such as market development and finance.

Town staff worked together to create resources to aid residents in learning how to get solar projects under way.

SolSmart uses objective criteria to award communities points based on the actions they take to reduce barriers to solar energy development. Communities that take sufficient action are designated either gold, silver, or bronze.

This press release was produced by the Town of Lexington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.