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Pix #s: 03718, 13789, 15966, 14898, 08466. Courtesy of NREL.


Resources

On this page, you can find a number of resources and publications with information to help you get solar energy integrated into your community, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments. You can view photos of Solar America Cities in action, and can download exhibits that feature solar projects in U.S. cities. You also can find web links to DOE and partner Web sites.

The following publications may require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. (Download Acrobat Reader)

Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments

The U.S. Department of Energy developed this comprehensive resource to assist local governments and stakeholders in building sustainable local solar markets. The guide introduces a range of policy and program options that have been successfully field tested in cities around the country. The guide describes each policy or program, explains the benefits, provides implementation tips and options, and includes short examples from local governments across the U.S.

Topics include:
1. Organizing and Strategizing Your Effort
2. Accelerating Demand through Policies and Incentives
3. Updating and Enforcing Local Rules and Regulations
4. Engaging Your Utility
5. Creating Jobs and Supporting Economic Development
6. Accelerating Demand through Outreach and Education
7. Leading by Example with Installations on Government     Properties


Publications

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. January 2010.
State decision makers have encountered arguments that state-level feed-in tariffs (FITs) are preempted by federal law. These arguments arise because the FIT transaction is a wholesale sale of electricity, from renewable seller to retail utility (which could trigger the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) and/or the Federal Power Act of 1935 (FPA)). Each of these statutes does in fact limit the discretion of state-level tariff designers. State utility commissions, in conjunction with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to explore how states can lawfully implement feed-in tariffs. This report seeks to reduce the legal uncertainties for states contemplating feed-in tariffs by explaining the constraints imposed by federal statutes.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. December 2009.
Although the market for insurance products that cover photovoltaic (PV) systems is evolving rapidly, PV developers in the United States are concerned about the cost and availability of insurance. Annual insurance premiums can be a significant cost component, and can affect the price of power and competition in the market. Moreover, the market for certain types of insurance products is thin or non-existent, and insurers’ knowledge about PV systems and the PV industry is uneven. PV project developers, insurance brokers, underwriters, and other parties interviewed for this research identified specific problems with the current insurance market for PV systems in the United States and suggested government actions that could facilitate the development of this market through better testing, data collection, and communication.

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Photos & Exhibits

View photographs in the Solar America Cities photo gallery.

U.S Department of Energy. 2008.
This panel introduces the Solar America Cities program and features a large map showing the 25 Solar America Cities.

U.S Department of Energy. 2008.
These fun, educational signs feature solar in action in the Solar America Cities, as well as information on different types of solar technologies and markets.


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Page Last Updated: 10/12/2009