Left to right: Rebecca Caldwell (COSEIA), Neal Laurie (COSEIA),
Mayor Michael Hancock, Michael Potts (Rocky Mountain Institute)
Mayor Michael Hancock, Michael Potts (Rocky Mountain Institute)
Today Denver Mayor Michael Hancock accepted an award from the Solar Friendly Communities project - a DOE funded Solar Rooftop Challenge winner with the mission of reducing the non-hardware costs associated with installing solar. Denver has reduced the fee for a residential photovoltaic system permit to $50 and the time it takes to pull that permit to as little as 15 minutes.
Non-hardware solar installation costs (aka Balance of System soft costs) include the fees and time associated with the regulatory requirements surrounding solar system installation, such as permitting, inspection and utility interconnection. These costs can account for up to 40% of the total system, especially as the price of the system hardware continues to decrease. The US Department of Energy has identified these costs as a prime target for reducing the price of solar for the end-user and has awarded 22 Solar Rooftop Challenge teams funds to address processes and policies on a local level. The DOE is also addressing these issues on a national scale through Solar 3.0 - a project that I am working on with SRA International.
Non-hardware solar installation costs (aka Balance of System soft costs) include the fees and time associated with the regulatory requirements surrounding solar system installation, such as permitting, inspection and utility interconnection. These costs can account for up to 40% of the total system, especially as the price of the system hardware continues to decrease. The US Department of Energy has identified these costs as a prime target for reducing the price of solar for the end-user and has awarded 22 Solar Rooftop Challenge teams funds to address processes and policies on a local level. The DOE is also addressing these issues on a national scale through Solar 3.0 - a project that I am working on with SRA International.