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Community
Sonoma County
, CA
Population:
494,336
For More Information:
View Designee Website
Designations & Program highlights
Installed solar PV on local facilities, totaling 1.89MW across three of Sonoma County Water Agency’s facilities.
Provided Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for eligible properties.
Demonstrated that the community’s installed per capita capacity is above top 20% of states (>99 watts/person).
Criteria Achieved
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
In the
News
Sonoma County solar industry ranks 13th in nation for job numbers
link
The Press Democrat
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