SolSmart, a national program that honors local communities for their efforts to encourage the use of solar energy, has awarded Longmont with a “SolSmart Gold” designation, city officials said Friday.
Longmont Power and Communications officials said in a news release that “SolSmart communities are recognized for their work in streamlining the solar process and reducing the soft costs of installing a solar energy system, such as permitting, financing and other nonhardware expenses.”
The SolSmart Gold designation is to be noted during a special presentation at Tuesday night’s Longmont City Council meeting. It is the third time the city was recognized by SolSmart, first in 2017 with the program’s bronze-level designation, and then in 2020, with a silver designation
Longmont officials wrote councilmembers that “SolSmart is funded by the U.S Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. As such, this honor is a national acknowledgment of the work Longmont has done in streamlining the solar application and installation process. This award also further signifies the community’s commitment to a cleaner environment.”
Longmont’s staff said in its news release that to earn the gold designation, a city must have a streamlined three-day solar permit review and approval process, and make it clear in the zoning ordinances that accessory use solar photovoltaic technology is allowed in all major zones.
“SolSmart awards are all about the customer — how easily can they plug into solar energy if they decide to do so?” Longmont Power and Communications Executive Director Dave Hornbacher said in the city’s news release. “We’re glad to give our community a simple, friendly way to pursue renewable energy, and we’re honored to have those efforts recognized.”
Officials said Longmont Power and Communications has about 525 solar customers, most of them residential. As an owner-member of the Platte River Power Authority, Longmont’s community-owned utility also draws nearly half of its own power from renewable sources, including the 30-megawatt Rawhide Flats Solar and the 22-megawatt Rawhide Prairie Solar sites.
Also on Tuesday night’s Longmont City Council study session agenda is a report about the city receiving a “Smart Energy Provider” designation from the American Public Power Association — a designation city staff says “recognizes the city’s efforts in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental initiatives as they relate to electric services.”
The Smart Energy Provider program is a best-practices designation for public power utilities that can demonstrate a commitment to and proficiency in energy efficiency, distributed generation, renewable energy and environmental initiatives. The purpose of the program is to provide national recognition of a utility’s effort to incorporate energy efficiencies and sustainability while providing affordable electric service, city staff said.
There are 94 public power utilities holding the Smart Energy Provider designation, including Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs in Colorado, out of a total of over 2,000 public power utilities in the United States, Longmont staff reported.
For more information
Longmont city government information about solar electric systems: tinyurl.com/9ssd9hw8
SolSmart webpage:solsmart.org
Longmont City Council study session: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Civic Center Council Chambers, 350 Kimbark St.
Meeting agenda:tinyurl.com/hp82btat