Local Best Practices for Solar: Planning, Zoning, Permitting

1. Local Best Practices for Solar: Planning, Zoning, Permitting Solar Minnesota November 26, 2012

2. Minnesota Solar Challenge

3. Minnesota Solar Challenge Initiative Part of the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative PV Rooftop Challenge • Program Goal: • To make solar electric generation (photovoltaic, or PV) widely cost- competitive with conventional grid sources of electricity by 2020.

4. U.S. DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge Creating a Self-Sustaining Solar Energy Market Source: U.S. DOE SunShot Initiative

5. Solar Panel Price Drops Source: GTM Research, The Wall Street Journal

6. Logarithmic Volume, Costs

7. Downward Cost Trend Source: Solar Energy Industry Association, 2012

8. Focus on Cost Components Source: U.S. DOE SunShot Initiative

9. Non-Structural Balance of System Costs Source: Benchmarking Soft Costs for PV Systems in the United States, Ardani, NREL, 2012

10. In German Source: http://www.goingecogreen.com/go-green-news/german-solar-installations-coming-in-at-2-24-per-watt-installed-us-at-4-44-2/

11. U.S. DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge Creating a Self-Sustaining Solar Energy Market Source: U.S. DOE SunShot Initiative

12. Minnesota Solar Challenge Initiative So, is everyone clear on that?

13. If you remember justone thing . . . • Local governments are a critical partner in the task of creating a self-sustaining solar energy market in Minnesota Photo credit: Meet Minneapolis

14. Minnesota Solar Challenge Initiative U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative PV Rooftop Challenge • Program Goal: • To make PV cost-competitive with conventional grid sources by 2020 • Minnesota Department of Commerce Focus: • Improve solar access, zoning, development regs • Streamline permitting and interconnection • Improve net metering • Improve financing options for solar

15. Minnesota Solar Challenge Initiative • Minnesota Solar Challenge • Develop best practices consistent with Minnesota’s local government environment and laws • Promote best practices to local governments through a variety of organizations and outreach efforts • Provide direct assistance to local governments in adapting the best practices to local conditions and priorities

16. Minnesota Solar Challenge Initiative • Minnesota Solar Challenge • Work with GreenStep Cities to incorporate solar energy best practices • Adopt solar zoning best practices as a recommended action (#1). • Adopt solar permitting best practices as a new action (#7). • Complete the zoning and permitting best practices to successfully implement the Renewable Energy Best Practice (#26)

17. Renewable Energy in Planning and Policy

18. Planning Issues Summarized • Renewable energy is an important local resource • People in your community will want to take advantage of their renewable energy resources • Communities will need to make decisions about how and where solar installations are done

19. Implementing Best Practices Streamlining the permitting process

20. Solar Market Transformation Tools Streamlining the permitting process • Reduce time spent on acquiring permits and conducting inspections • Ensure that the permit process is transparent to both staff and applicants • Establish a permit fee that covers issuing and inspection costs • Ensure the permit process is consistent with industry best practices

21. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul • Identifies when the checklist is applicable • Collects basic information about the installation • Identifies required drawings and technical information to acquire a permit • Identifies when structural engineering review is necessary • Identifies criteria for other permit or process requirements

22. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul Before approval and issuance of permit(s) for solar installations, applicant shall submit the following minimum information. . . Building integrated solar installations, where the solar collector replaces or substitutes for a component of a building or structure such as roof, shingle, or awning, do not require completionof this checklist separately from the building permit application for the building, structure, or building modification.

23. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul Building Integrated Solar

24. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul Required Drawings and Plans 7. Provide construction drawings that include a building section detail and complete notation of method of fastening equipment to the roof of the subject property, including the following details:

25. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul Structural Assessment 11. The minimum structural threshold for installing a flush-mounted PV system is a roof structure with at least 2 x 4 rafters no more than 24” on-center spacing. . . 12. Non-flush-mount installations have different potential structural considerations. If the answer to question 10 (is the system flush-mounted?) is no, please provide the following additional information. . .

26. Streamlining Permitting Solar Permit Checklist – Saint Paul Ground Mount Submittal info Electrical Information Heritage Preservation 18. Legislative Code § 73.06 provides that exterior work, including installation of solar energy systems, within city designated heritage preservation sites and districts is subject to review and approval by the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) prior to the issuance of city permits.

27. Streamlining Permitting Best Practices on Permit Fees • Most communities charge a permit fee based on the value of the work being performed . . . • Continue to use value, but exclude the cost of the solar panels • Set a fixed fee for residential installations ($100 – 250) based on internal costs for review • Consider an incentive fee to encourage investment in solar resources

28. Streamlining Permitting Solar America Board of Codes and Standards (Solar ABCS) www.solarabcs.org/about/publications/reports/expedited-permit/

29. Streamlining Permitting Photovoltaic on-line training (PVOT) for code officials Go to www.nterlearning.org (Search for “photovoltaics” or PV)

30. Streamlining Permitting Structural engineering study on Minnesota residential rooftop solar installations. http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/images/SolorRoofsReport.pdf

31. Implementing Best Practices The Minnesota Solar Challenge offers free technical assistance to local governments

32. Solar Challenge Technical Assistance Technical assistance to local governments to adopt or incorporate best practices for enabling solar energy development in their community. Best practices focus on: • Removing barriers in local permitting processes (building and electric), • Understanding and adopting reasonable permit fees charged to solar installations, and • Ensuring that land use regulation (including comprehensive plan language and zoning) treats solar energy resources fairly and consistently with other resources and land uses.

33. Solar Challenge Technical Assistance Technical assistance includes: • Workshops presenting local government best practices and how to adapt the best practices. • Working directly with city decision-makers and staff to explain the value of solar. • Presenting and discussing local best practices directly with commissions, staff, elected officials. • Helping individual local governments fit the best practices fit into existing processes and regulations. • Writing draft language or guidance documents for permitting and land use standards to fit the local conditions and circumstances of the individual city.

34. Thank You! Minnesota Solar Help Hotline (855) 374-6822

35. Minnesota Solar Help Hotline (855) 374-6822 Principal, CR Planning, Inc. 612-588-4904 bross@crplanning.com Brian Ross Laura Cina Managing Director, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society 612-963-4757 laurac@mnrenewables.org