Solar Ready II FINAL REPORT May 2016 Solar Ready II MID-AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL Solar Ready II | Final Report Solar Ready II participants Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) Population of engaged jurisdictions: 515,384 Central New York Regional Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Planning and Development Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Council of Governments (OKI) Board (CNYRPDB) (MWCOG) Population of engaged Population of engaged Population of engaged jurisdictions: 4.2 million jurisdictions: 411,760 jurisdictions: 1.9 million Delaware Valley Regional Southwest Florida Regional Mid-American Regional Council Planning Council (SWFRPC) Planning Commission (DVRPC) (MARC) Population of engaged Population of engaged jurisdictions: 1.44 million Population of engaged jurisdictions: 2.2 million jurisdictions: 1.6 million Maricopa Association North Central Texas Council of Tampa Bay Regional Planning of Governments (MAG) Governments (NCTCOG) Council (TBRPC) Population of engaged Population of engaged Population of engaged jurisdictions: 3.56 million jurisdictions: 4.64 million jurisdictions: 2.4 million Contents Executive Summary....................3 Detailed Narrative .......................8 Major Findings ............................13 SRII Partner Reports ..................15 Conclusion ..................................28 Appendix.....................................30 page 2 | Solar Ready II | Final Report Executive Summary Solar Ready II by the numbers... 2.5 Years 277 Jurisdictions 408 Events, 34 Webinars 13,444 Participants 626 Solar Contracts 4.91 MW Solar The major objective of the Solar Ready II (SRII) project was to expand the proven collaborative approach of the Solar Ready KC initiative — a DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge project launched in the Kansas City metropolitan region in 2011 — to a national scale, using established relationships among regional planning councils and their member local governments. This was accomplished through a best management practices (BMPs) implementation framework, which provided the means for substantive technology/knowledge transfer to have the expected impacts of soft cost reductions. Solar Ready II is a partnership of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), Meister Consultants Group (MCG), Council of State Governments (CSG) and nine regional councils that have engaged 277 local governments, containing nearly 23 million residents across thirteen states and the District of Columbia. National Partners Roles and Responsibilities Mid-America Regional Council Lead agency National Association of Regional National coordination, monitoring, oversight, reporting Councils (NARC) and communications and outreach. Meister Consultants Group (MCG) Subject matter expert, research, technical assistance, content development, education and training. Council of State Governments (CSG) Connection to state elected and appointed offi cials, dissemination of communications, education and outreach. | page 3 Solar Ready II | Final Report Participating Regional Planning Councils (RPCs) Participating RPC Partners Number of Population Solar Ready II - Best Management Participating of Engaged Practices (BMPs) Jurisdictions Jurisdictions Central New York Regional 51 411,760 • Solarize, community solar. Planning and Development • Financing, lending, PACE. Board (CNYRPDB) • Streamline permit process, checklist. Delaware Valley Regional 35 2,230,719 • Solarize. Planning Commission • Solar Ready guidelines. (DVRPC) / Delaware County • Zoning/model ordinances. Planning Department • Streamline permit process, checklist. Metropolitan Washington 15 4,220,401 • Solarize. Council of Governments • Central information source. (MWCOG) - DC • Streamline permit process, checklist. Maricopa Association of 19 3,596,661 • Solar Ready Guidelines. Governments (MAG) • Financing, lending, PACE. • Streamline permit process, checklist. Mid-America Regional 26 1,439,225 • Solar Ready guidelines. Council (MARC) • Zoning/model ordinances. • Streamline permit process, checklist. North Central Texas Council 33 4,646,743 • Central information source. of Governments (NCTCOG) • Zoning/model ordinances. • Pre-qualify plans. • Streamline permit process, checklist. Northwestern Indiana 19 515,384 • Solarize. Regional Planning Council • Zoning/model ordinance. (NIRPC) • Pre-qualify plans. Ohio Kentucky Indiana 45 1,900,330 • Solar Ready guidelines. Regional Council of • Central information source. Governments (OKI) • Financing, lending, PACE. Southwest Florida Regional 23 1,619,827 • Solar Ready guidelines. Planning Council (SWFRPC) • Zoning/model ordinances. • Streamline permit process, checklist. Tampa Bay Regional 11 2,409,685 • Solar Ready guidelines. Planning Council (TBRPC) • Central information source. • Financing, lending, PACE. TOTAL 277 22,990,735 page 4 | Solar Ready II | Final Report Anticipated impacts The key goal of SRII was to reduce soft costs associated with local government processes and customer acquisition through the implementation of streamlined permitting, proper planning and zoning, Solarize campaigns and other financing options in the ten participating regions.The BMPs provided the framework to streamline both permitting and planning processes, and promote financing options.The expected impacts of the SRII initiative included: Residential/Commercial Siting, Planning and Zoning Financing Permitting Processes • Reduced permitting • Permissive Solar Rights and • Access to PACE. IMPACTS application time. Access. • Implementation of • Easy access to permitting • Allowance of solar in zoning Solarize campaigns. applications. codes. • Availability of local • Easy access to processing • Availability of new construction and diverse lending information. guidelines that lower labor options and access to • Reduced permitting costs. capital. processing time. • Integration and incorporation of • Reasonable permitting fees. solar into long-term community planning. • Coordination of inspection and reduced waiting times. Outcomes Coverage Results templates, checklists and guides, along with other educational materials for solar energy. • National scale expansion involving 10 regions in 13 states and the District of Columbia. • SRII partner websites and web pages received more than 55,740 views. In addition to websites, • RPCs’ efforts targeted close to 23 million five educational videos were produced with 1,445 population. views. The SRII • 277 local governments actively engaged, receiving team published SRII resources. 23,566 Facebook posts and 621 Communications Education tweets. It is estimated that SRII and Outreach Results information released • One central website created and maintained to the public was with periodic updates. Specifics include: online picked up and re- newsletters, press releases and direct e-blasts disseminated to over reached 155,018 individuals; print newsletters were 759,290 individuals distributed to 16,110 individuals; online resources by local media. were disseminated to over 33,170 individuals and Lastly, regional print resources were provided to 4,786 individuals. partners gave 27 Frederick County Solar Co-op These resources included best management practice interviews to local participants. Photo courtesy of radio and TV Sandra Thomas. stations. | page 5 Solar Ready II | Final Report Strategies — Results Soft Cost Reduction Estimates • 15 best management practices (BMPs) codified • Reduced time for permit applications and and utilized as framework for local government submittals. implementation. • Increased access to checklists and guidelines, • 408 events (meetings, training workshops) held resulting in estimated time savings. with 12,600 participants. In addition, 34 webinars were held, which convened 844 individuals. • Reduced wait times for inspections. • 18,600 state elected and appointed officials • Below average cost of permitting fees. received solar resource materials through magazine • 20 percent documented savings from Solarize articles, email communications, webinars and a programs. one-day, in-person workshop at CSG National annual conference. Market Transformation • Market research public engagement initiative • 66 percent increase of installed residential capacity in KC metro region that connected with 22,247 over grant period. stakeholders, conducting two solar-related surveys (42 percent return rate of 1,051 participants) and • Total cost is now estimated at $3.50/W for one discussion forum. residential and $2/W for commercial. • 12 successful Conclusion Solarize campaigns in five regions Benefits of a Regional Approach that resulted in SRII provides insight into the value of a regional over 4.91 MW of approach to solar and the powerful roles that RPCs installed capacity, can play in reaching and supporting a large number 4,405 staff hours, of local governments. The most important function 183 public events, of an RPC is to foster communication, coordination 4,665 interested and collaboration among and across their member solar customers, DVPRC’s Solarize Greater Media jurisdictions in a politically neutral setting. Because 626 individual Lawn sign. RPCs are aware of the specific needs, challenges, or installations. other special considerations of member jurisdictions, • Regional Solar Ready Communities recognition they are uniquely suited to provide customized tools or program development and implemented in KC technical assistance. RPCs are natural conveners and metro region. 12 jurisdictions received awards