McFarland, WI

McFarland, Wisconsin earned SolSmart Gold designation in 2024 with an impressive array of solar initiatives, including multiple updates to zoning for residential and utility-scale solar, posting public information about topics from consumer protection to financial incentives and resources, installing solar on city-owned buildings, and more.

• Posted online solar map, solar resources about solar installers and/or solar quote platforms for solar PV, a summary of state policies relating to solar, information about consumer protection, and information about residential and commercial solar PV financing options and incentives.
• Discussed solar PV goals and strategies for increasing solar PV development, including large-scale solar plans, solar access, and solar adoption in disadvantaged communities.
• Conducted feasibility analysis for solar PV on local government facilities and/or local government-controlled land.
• Installed solar PV on local government facilities and/or local government-controlled land.
• Procured solar energy for municipal operations or signed contract to procure solar energy for municipal operations through an offsite physical PPA, virtual PPA, green tariff, or similar structure.
• Provided a PACE financing program that includes solar PV as an eligible technology.
• Provided local incentives or locally-enabled finance (e.g. a revolving loan fund) for solar PV and/or solar PV + technologies.
• Trained inspection and permitting staff on best practices for inspecting solar PV and/or solar and storage systems.
• Posted an online checklist detailing the required permit(s), submittals, and steps of your community s permitting process for residential rooftop solar PV, as well as a statement confirming a three-business day turnaround time for residential rooftop PV.
• Ensured the zoning ordinance includes a native perennial vegetation and/or habitat-friendly ground cover requirement or standard for large-scale solar PV.
• Ensured the zoning ordinance establishes a clear regulatory pathway for large-scale solar PV
• Ensured the zoning ordinance exempts small ground-mounted solar PV from certain restrictions on accessory uses.
• Codified in the zoning ordinance that accessory use rooftop solar PV is explicitly allowed by-right in all major zones.
• Reviewed zoning requirements and identify restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development.
• Included specific solar PV goals, metrics, and strategies in the most current published version of relevant local plans.