Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Printed: 12/12/2022 9:53:11 AM
Modified: 12/12/2022 9:52:41 AM
Peterborough has acquired a gold-level title from the nationwide SolSmart program, which awards neighborhood factors based mostly on the actions they take to cut back limitations to photo voltaic power development.
SolSmart is led by the Interstate Renewable Vitality Council (IREC) and the Worldwide Metropolis/County Administration Affiliation (ICMA) and funded by the US Division of Vitality Photo voltaic Vitality Applied sciences Workplace.
The group helps native governments and regional organizations convey new enterprise to their neighborhood, promote financial development and promote the creation of recent jobs, in keeping with Peterborough City Planner Danica Melone.
Melone mentioned a few of the standards for being a SolSmart gold choose embody lowering limitations for photo voltaic power development. This shall be finished, Melone mentioned, by lowering the variety of required code inspections and making a photo voltaic allowing information, in addition to an announcement explaining the town’s help for streamlining the processes concerned in -go photo voltaic for companies.
As a SolSmart appointee, Melone mentioned Peterborough helps photo voltaic corporations scale back the price of installations and move the financial savings on to shoppers.
“The actions Peterborough is taking will assist encourage photo voltaic corporations to do enterprise within the space, drive financial growth and create native jobs,” he mentioned.
Peterborough sought the title of SolSmart in collaboration with the Peterborough Renewable Vitality Planning (PREP) Committee. PREP has been on the forefront of renewable power initiatives for the reason that passage of a warrant article on the City Assembly in 2021 that commits the city to the purpose of 100% renewable sources of electrical energy by 2030 and renewable sources for all different wants in power, together with heating and transportation, by 2050. PREP can be mandated to supply a Renewable Vitality Plan by December 2022 that outlines Peterborough’s transition to 100% renewable power.
“I can not say sufficient concerning the PREP committee,” Melone mentioned, including that the group did the mandatory legwork to make the SolSmart title doable and to assist with different initiatives akin to renovations. within the metropolis’s electrical automotive. “They knew the methods to perform our targets and introduced me SolSmart.”
At present, greater than 450 municipalities, counties and regional organizations have achieved the SolSmart designation for the reason that program was launched in 2016. As a part of the SolSmart program, a gaggle of nationwide consultants supplies free technical help to assist communities obtain their targets. SolSmart choices at the moment are obtainable in 43 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Communities are designated gold, silver or bronze, and Peterborough is now one in every of three communities — the others embody Keene and Lebanon — in New Hampshire to be designated, and one in every of two designated gold.
