Chattanooga, TN

Once known for its smokestacks and steel mills, Chattanooga, Tennessee, has worked hard to reinvent itself as a renaissance city in terms of climate and air quality over the last several decades. Chattanooga is designated SolSmart Gold for the community’s commitment to making it faster, simpler, and more transparent for residents and businesses to go solar.

• Created an online permitting checklist, increasing transparency for community members and solar installers.
• Reviewed local zoning codes and identified restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development
• Allowed solar by-right accessory use in all zones (so solar installations don’t require special permits or hearings)
• Cross-trained both inspection and permitting staff on solar PV
• Provided a streamlined permitting pathway for small PV systems
• Created a streamlined process to approve certain solar permit applications over the counter