HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2010-120 N.C.S. 06/21/2010Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S.
of the City of Petaluma, California
APPIdOVING SO~AR SONOIVIA COiJN~'X'S SOI.AI2 IIVIPLEIVIENTA'I'ION PLAN
WH~R~AS, the City of Petaluma joined Solar Sonoma County in 2008, to support
initiatives for more solar power and energy efficiency throughout Sonoma County; and,
WHEREAS, being a member of Solar Sonoma County provides the City of Petaluma
the benefits of Solar Sonoma County's support through technical advice and assistance regarding
solar installations and energy efficiency; and,
W~IE~AS, the Sonoma County Solar Implementation Plan was prepared by Solar
Sonoma County under a U.S. Department ofEnergy Solar America Cities grant administered by
the City of Santa Rosa; and,
WI~ER~AS, the Solar Implementation Plan is a key tool for Solar Sonoma County's
goal to increase the amount of solar power produced in the County by an additional 25
megawatts by 2011; and,
WI~EREAS, the Solar Implementation Plan provides regional strategies to reduce
market barriers to the installation of solar energy systems and energy efficiency measures,
through advances in policy, financing, education, and market transformation; and,
WI~EREAS, the Solar Implementation Plan is a valuable resource that can help
achieve the greenhouse gas reduction goals of the City of Petaluma; and,
WHEREAS, the Solar Implementation Plan enables the City of Petaluma to
efficiently coordinate with stakeholders, collaborate on the best practices for the use of regional
resources, and avoid duplicate or competing efforts.
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 1
NOW, Z'HEI2~F'O~, BE IZ' RESOLVEI) that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma accepts the Solar Implementation Plan, attached as Exhibit A to Resolution and
incorporated herein by reference, prepared by Solar Sonoma County, and will continue to
collaborate with other cities and the County in the Solar Sonoma County effort to implement and
become a leader in solar power installation and energy efficiency across Sonoma County the
nation.
Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City
REFERENCE: 1 hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the Approved as to
Council of the City of Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 2151 day of June, 2010, o
by the follo~ving vote:
City Attorney
AYES: Barrett, Harris, Rabbitt, Renee, Mayor Torliatt
NOES: None
ABSENT: Vice Mayor Glass, Healy
ABSTAIN: None
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 2
Sonor~a County Solar Irnplementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
March 2010
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900 College Avenue, 2nd Floor
Santa Rosa, California 95404
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Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 3
This report was funded by a Solar America Cities program grant
through Solar Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, California.l
Contributors and reviewers include:
Solar Sonoma County
Board of Directors
Craig Carlock John Lloyd Barry Cogbill
Chair Vice Chair Secretary
Solar Craft International Brotherhood Solar Consultant
of Electrical Workers -
Local 551
Dave Brennan lohn Haig Martha Baeli
Sonoma County County of Sonoma Pacific Gas & Electric
Regional Climate
Protection Authority
Solar Sonoma County
Advisory Board
Michael Kyes Alan Strachan
Sebastopol Heat and Cool Green Energy Loan
Deb Fudge Steve Pantazes
Town of Windsor Town of Windsor
Councilmember Building Official
Alison Healy
Executive Director
Ken Wells
Technical Advisor
1 http://www.solaramericacities.ener~v.QOV/
Ken Norton
Treasurer
Financial Consultant
Tasha Wright Dell Tredinnick
City of Santa Rosa City of Santa Rosa
1ay Jackson Raymond 8altar
GreenVolt Inc. Moon Valley Studio
Solar Sonoma County
Officers/Staff
Lori Houston
Co-Founder
Associate Director
Chris Cone
Researcher/Writer
Solar Implementation Plan
Coordinator
Resohition No. 2010-120 N.C.S.
Marty Roberts
Co-Founder
Former Co-Director
Tim Bacon
SSC Office Coordinator
Page 4
Solar Sonoma County Working Group
Alex Hinds, Sonoma State University
Ann Hancock, Climate Protection
Campaign, Executive Director
Briana Herpst, City of Cloverdale,
Administrative Specialist
Carol Russell, City of Cloverdale
Councilmember
Damien Obid, City of Cotati, Public
Works Department
Dave Shufro, Agilent Technologies
Deb Fudge, Town of Windsor,
Councilmember
Denise Soza, International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Diane Ramirez, City of Petaluma, Public
Works Department
Evelina Molina, North Bay Institute for
Green Technology, Executive
Director
Fred Conklin, Stonefield Homeowners
Association
Gene Quisisem, Green Ray
Technologies
Glenn Schainblatt, City of Sebastopol,
Building Department
Grant Davis, Sonoma County Water
Agency, Assistant General
Manager
Jane Elias, City of Cloverdale
Jerry Guffey, Mission Capital
Jerry Schafer, Affinity Solar
Jessica Diaz, Sonoma County
Supervisor Shirlee Zane
representative
Kevin Gilleran, Gilleran Energy
Management
Laurie Gallian, City of Sonoma,
Councilmember
Len Greenwood, Montgomery High
School Green Academy
Linda Kelly, City of Sonoma, City
Manager
Maddy Hirshfield, Assemblyman
Wes Chesbro representative
Marilyn Standley, City of Sebastopol,
Planning Commission
Michael Allen, State Senator
Pat Wiggins representative
Mike McGuire, City of Healdsburg,
Councilmember
Robert Coleman-Senghor,
City of Cotati, Mayor
Ron Knox, Knox HVAC
Ryan Sakata, Sonoma Mountain Village
Sharon Ledbetter, Eco-Green Real
Estate Agent Training
Steve Pantazes, Town of Windsor,
Building Department
Tiffany Renee, City ofPetaluma,
Councilmember
Tom Luhmann, City of Rohnert Park,
Building Department
Veronica Jacobi, City of Santa Rosa,
Councilmember
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S.
Page 5
Con ten ts
Executive Summarv ........................................................................................................................................
Goals ................................................................................................................................................... ... i
Market Barriers ................................................................................................................................... .. ii
Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... . ii
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ ..1
Background ................................................................................................................................................. .. 1
Economic Recession ................................................................................................................................ ..2
Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................... .. 2
Collaboration ........................................................................................................................................... .. 4
Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................................... ..4
New Solar Capacity ............................................................................................................................. .. 5
Market Transformation ....................................................................................................................... .. 5
Project List ........................................................................................................................................... .. 5
Resources and Market Barriers ............................................................................................................... .. 6
Resources ............................................................................................................................................ .. 6
Market Barriers ................................................................................................................................... ..7
Strategies and Actions ................................................................................................................................ ..8
Policies/Regulations ................................................................................................................................ .. 8
1 - Regional Standards ...................................................................................................................... .. 8
Financing/Incentives ............................................................................................................................... 18
2- Redevelopment, Community Development, and Enterprise Funds ............................................ 18
Education ................................................................................................................................................ 20
3- Training for Government Staff/Elected Officials and Solar/Efficiency Vendors .......................... 20
4- Education for Community ............................................................................................................ 25
Market Transformation ........................................................................................................................... 31
5- Clean Energy Advocate Program ................................................................................................. 31
6- Clearinghouse for Request-for-Bids ............................................................................................ 33
Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 35
Appendix 1: Solar Implementation Plan History ..................................................................................... 37
Appendix 2: Additional SIP Recommendations ...................................................................................... 38
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 6
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Resohrtion No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 7
Executive Summary
Solar power and energy efficiency constitute a win-win formula to jump start the local economy and
effectively respond to the climate change crisis. To address these important opportunities, this Sonoma
County So/ar Imp/ementation Plan was prepared by Solar Sonoma County, a nonprofit public/private
consortium of local governments, businesses, other entities and individuals working collaboratively to
identify and implement initiatives to promote, expand, and accelerate solar power and energy efficiency
throughout Sonoma County, under a U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities grant administered
by the City of Santa Rosa.2
Goals
The Solar Implementation Plan (SIP) provides strategies for collaboration between local governments
and the private sector to reduce market barriers to the installation of solar electric systems, solar
thermal systems, and energy efficiency measures through advances in policy, financing, education, and
market transformation. It will function as a road map and plan for our efforts to move our County and
the nation to widespread adoption of solar energy and energy efficiency concepts.
The SIP is designed to encourage the installation of solar electric and solar thermal systems and to offset
countywide peak energy demand at minimum - ideally meeting a significantly larger portion of
countywide electrical demand ultimately - toward achieving GHG emissions reductions through
increased energy efficiency and renewable energy generation." It does this in two ways: New solar
capacity and market transformation.
New Solar Capacity
The SIP supports the goals of Solar Sonoma County:
m Add 25 megawatts (MW) of new solar generation by May 2011,3
o Over the long-term, replace 250 MW of peak demand with a combination of solar energy generation
and energy efficiency, and
• Support countywide GHG reduction targets.4
Market Transformation
In order to meet Solar Sonoma County's 2011 goal, the SIP focuses on regional strategies for market
transformation to remove financial, regulatory, and educational barriers to residential and non-
residential property owner participation. Market transformation on a countywide scale offers several
advantages to local governments; these include the ability to coordinate with government, business,
and comi~nunity partners, to collaborate on the best practices for the use of regional resources, and to
avoid duplicate or competing efforts. In addition, focusing on the countywide market atlows local
Z Solar Sonoma County: http://www.solarsonomacountv.or~/
3 In March ?_008, when the Solar America Cities grant was awarded, there were 13 MW of installed solar power systems in the
county. According to PG&E, an additional 10.75 MW of solar electric generation have been added to Sonoma County between
March 2008 and lanuary 2010.
° Reduce GHG emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015.
i
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 8
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
governments to identify ways to collaborate on standardizing policy and regulation, aiding in reducing
vendor costs through streamlined permitting and code compliance procedures, updating municipal
codes for additional clean energy opportunities, and pursuing long-term strategies for sustainable
community planning.
Market Barriers
Market barriers and proposed solutions were identified through a stakeholder process that included
input from the Solar Sonoma County (SSC) Working Group (a 52-member taskforce made up of
stakeholders from government, industry, business, and community), the SSC Board of Directors and
Advisory Board, members of the SSC Solar Vendor, Energy Efficiency Vendor, and Policy/Finance/
Incentives committees, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities technical team, and research
into activities by other Solar America Cities communitiess and local government programs.
Key market barriers include:
• Differences in permitting, code compliance, building codes, zoning, and General Plan process
relating to solar and energy efficiency that require vendors to track multiple regulatory rules across
jurisdictions,
• Need for education among building department staff, and elected and executive-level government
officials regarding emerging policy and technological opportunities,
o Need for education among local solar and efficiency vendors about energy code issues and building
collaborative working relationships with local building officials,
• Lack of central, searchable library of requests for bid for solar and efficiency projects,
• Underused opportunities to leverage existing funding resources, and
o Lack of residential and non-residential property owner awareness about the economic,
environmental, and personal benefits of solar and energy efficiency.
o Lack of a neutral energy advocate to assist residential property owners with up-to-date information
on solar and efficiency information, options and incentives.
Recommendations
The recommendations included in the SIP were selected by the Solar Sonoma County (SSC) Working
Group and Advisory Board from a field of more than 50 ideas suggestions compiled through the above
cited stakeholder process. Each recommendation is presented in the report with its associated market
barrier, benefits, resources, case studies, constraints, and tasks:
5 U.S. Department of Energy: Solar America Cities: http://www.solaramericacities.ener~y.gov/
I I
Resohrtion No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 9
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
Policies/Regulations
1- Regional Standards: Seek opportunities to create regional standards that simplify the regulatory
process for solar generation and energy efficiency projects, including permitting, code compliance,
municipal building code scope/content, zoning ordinances, and general plan elements/language.
Financing/Incentives
2- Redevelopment/Community Development/Enterprise Fund Programs: Seek opportunities within
existing dedicated public funding programs (e.g., redevelopment, community development, and
enterprise funds) to focus on solar generation and energy efficiency public agency projects within the
scope of the funding program.
Education/Outreach
3- Training for Government Staff/Officials and Solar/Efficiency Vendors: Seek opportunities and
resources to provide government staff and elected officials with training and education on solar energy
and energy efficiency to help support policy and permitting/code compliance decisions, and seek
opportunities to encourage and support training and certification for solar and efficiency vendors in
industry protocols, local codes and standards, and State building codes.
4- Education for Community: Seek opportunities to connect citizens with solar electric, solar thermal,
and energy efficiency information and services through existing government channels; seek new
opportunities for government to educate the community on solar power and energy efficiency and
leverage non-governmental educational opportunities, increasing public awareness and making them
more available to the community.
Market Transformation
5- Clean Energy Advocate Program: Support and promote the new countywide Clean Energy Advocate
program, help grow public awareness of this program, help grow public awareness of the program, and
assist in identification of homeowners whose homes would be good candidates for solar and efficiency
measures.
6-Request-for-Proposal/Bid Clearinghouse: Promote the creation of a countywide Web portal for
solar and efficiency government requests-for-bids to assist local vendors in identifying bidding
opportunities and providing competitive bids, and encourage government members of SSC to
participate.
iii
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 10
So/ar Implementation P/an
Solar Sonoma County
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iv
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 11
Intro~duction
Solar pawer and energy efficiency constitute a win-win formula to jump start the local economy and
effectively respond to the climate change crisis. To address these important opportunities, this Sonoma
County Solar Imp/ementation Plan was prepared by Solar Sonoma County, a nonprofit public/private
consortium of local governments, businesses, and other entities and individuals working collaboratively
to identify and implement initiatives to promote, expand, and accelerate solar power and energy
efficiency throughout Sonoma County under a U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities grant
administered by the City of Santa Rosa:b
The Solar Implementation Plan (SIP) provides strategies for co{laboration among local governments and
the private sector to reduce market barriers to the installation of solar electric and solar thermal
systems, and energy efficiency measures, through advances in policy, financing, education, and market
transformation. It will function as a road map and plan for our efforts to move our County and the
nation to widespread adoption of solar energy and energy efficiency concepts.
The goals of the plan are to make the best use of government and private sector resources to promote
widespread adoption of solar and energy efficiency measures, prevent duplication of effort, engage a
wide range of community stakeholders, standardize clean energy implementation processes, support
local, State, and Federal greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, and support Solar Sonoma County's
goal to install 25 megawatts (MW) of new solar energy generation in Sonoma County by May 2011.
The SIP includes six recommendations selected by the Solar Sonoma County Working Group and
Advisory Board from more than 50 project ideas generated by SSC members and research into activities
by other Solar America Cities communities' and local government programs (see Appendix 1: Solar
Implementation Plan - History).
~aCk~1'OY111C~
Bringing solar power into the mainstream in Sonoma County has long been the goal of a dedicated team
of local business, government, and community supporters. The effort began in 2002 with the formation
of Solar Sebastopol, which worked to install 1 megawatt (MW) of new solar generation within the City of
Sebastopol. Later the group partnered with the City of Santa Rosa to serve the entire county under a
new name (Solar Sonoma County), a new format (public/private consortium), with new funding (U.S.
Departrr~ent of Energy Solar America Cities grant), and a new goal: install 25 MWs of solar power within
Sonoma County by May 2011.$
As the lacal renewable energy movement has grown, global forces have emerged that lend new urgency
to the vision of expanded implementation of solar power: economic recession and climate change
caused by increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
6 Solar Sonoma County: http://www.solarsonomacountv.ar~/
' U.S. Department of Energy: Solar America Cities: http://wwwsolaramericacities.ener~y.~ovl
a See Appendix 2, Solar Implementation Plan - History
1
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 12
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
Econo~nic Recession
Since December 2007, the nation has experienced its worst economic recession in six decades,
beginning in the housing sector, expanding to the financial and consumer sectors, and eventually
affecting the global economy. The California unemployment rate (12.4 percent in March 2010) is at its
highest since 1945 with four-fifths of the losses occurring between July 2008 and July 2009. In addition,
the State's construction industry experienced early and steady job loss over the past two and a half
years9 and local construction experienced a 14.9 percent job loss between August 2008 a"nd 2009.10
Meanwhile, Sonoma County's overall unemployment rate reached 10.1 percent in October 2009,11
which is on par with the national average of 10.2 percent. Rising unemployment and job losses are cited
as "concerning trends" in the 2010 Sonoma County /ndicators report published by the Sonoma County
Economic Development Board, which noted that over the past year the number of jobs in Sonoma
County has deciined by five percent.12
According to the California Employment Development Department, the national economy is about to
enter a period of recovery; however, California's economic recovery is expected to lag behind the nation
because the State has experienced greaterjob losses and government budget challenges on the State
and local level.
In Sonoma County, the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which
provides funding for job creation and energy efficiency/renewable energy programs, the Sonoma
County Retrofit/Renewables Program, which will soon provide market transformation infrastructure,
and the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP),13 which provides financing for solar and
other clean energy systems and efficiency retrofits, offer a unique opportunity to encourage investment
in clean energy technology, grow the local market for solar and efficiency services, create green
economy jobs, and jump-start the local economy. A preliminary report on SCEIP's job-creation effects
indicates that Sonoma County construction-related jobs have increase by 8.4 percent since the
program's inception in March 2009, in a period relative decline in jobs for neighboring jurisdictions.14
Climate Change
To prevent and mitigate impacts created by climate change and rising global temperature, the
international scientific community has determined a"safe" upper limit for GHGs to be 350 parts-per-
million (ppm), which occurred in 1990; the current GHG level is 390 ppm.is At the December 2009
9 A Labor Day Briefing for California, California Employment Development Department, September 2009
lo The California Eeonomy: Bounce of Splat? What Next? Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Beacon Economics, http://wwwsanoma-
countv.ory/edbjpdf/2009/whats next.pdf
11 California LaborMarketlnfo, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.~ov/
lZ 2010 Sonoma County Indicators, Sonoma County Economic Development Board, httq://www.sonoma-
county.or~/edb/pdf/2010/sotc indicators.pdf
13 Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, httq://www_sonomaco~mtvener~y.org/
14 "Growth in Construction Economic Activity in Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program,"
Sonoma County Water Agency, November 18, 2009; http://wwwscwa.ca.gov/files/docs/news/Economic-Acitivitv-and-SCEIP-
N ov-2 3 2009-f i n a I. p df
ls "Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting
for an extended period (decades or longer~. Climate change may result from: natural factors, such as changes in the sun's
intensity ar slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun; natural processes within the climate system (e.g., changes in
2
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 13
Solar Implementation P/an
Solar Sonoma County
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Director Dr. Rajendra Pachuari opened the conference by observing that "if [the
global] temperature increase is to be limited to between 2.0° and 2.4° Celsius, global emissions must
peak no later than 2015."
Known as the scientific imperative, this global deadline illustrates how climate change, which affects
every aspect of the local community from food and energy security to economic stability to resource
availability, is redefining government's role as protector of community health and safety. New policies
and mandates at every level of government call for the expansion of solar power and energy efficiency
initiatives:
On the federal level, climate change is a factor in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 federal stimulus package;16 which includes funding for energy efficiency programs, and is the
primary focus of the American Clean Energy and Security Act,l' which is currently under
consideration in the U.S. Senate and includes provisions for increasing solar energy, setting energy
efficiency benchmarks, setting GHG reduction targets, and transitioning to a clean energy economy.
m On the state level, Assembly Bill 32 - Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006,18 which mandates
state GHG-reduction targets (1990 levels by 2020; 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050), opened
the door for a series of new laws focused on reducing GHG emissions and transforming the market
for clean energy services, including local government financing for solar and energy efficiency
projects under Assembly Bill 811.19 Assembly Bill 474 expanded the scope of AB 811 to include water
conservation measures, augmenting that statute.20 Senate Bill 375 requires the California Air
Resources Board to set regional greenhouse gas reduction targets for automobile/light truck
emissions and develop "sustainable community strategies" for land use planning to reduce the
urban sprawl that leads to long commutes and increasing vehicle emissions.~l
o On the local level, climate change has spurred an unprecedented level of regional collaboration
between governments, business, and the community. Since 2001, the Climate Protection Campaign
(CPC) has facilitated countywide implementation of the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) five-step climate-awareness campaign that fosters local
collaboration to establish a GHG emissions baseline, set a reduction target, develop a local climate
action plan, implement the action plan, and monitor the results. Most recently, the Sonoma County
Transportation Authority formed the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Agency (RCPA),
the first agency of its kind in the State, to address issues of regional and local collaboration on
climate issues.
ocean circulation); or human activities that change the atmosphere's composition (e.g., through burning fossil fuels) and the
land surface (e.g., deforestation, reforestation, urbanization, desertification, etc.)," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
htt : wv~w.epa.~ov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
16 http://www.~ovtrack.us/con~ress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1&tab=summarv
'~ htt : www.~ovtrack.us/con~ress/bill.xpd?bill=hlll-2454&tab=summary
la http://www:arb.ca.~ov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm
19 htt : info.sen ca.gov[pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab 0801-085Jab 811 bill 20080721 chaptered.pdf
20 http•/~nfo.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab 0451-0500/ab 474 bill 20091011 chaptered.pdf
21 http://info.sen.ca.~ov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb 0351-0400/sb 375 bill 20090414 amended sen v98.pdf
3
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 14
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
Collaboration
Sonoma County governments have set several national precedents for regional collaboration. The first
collaborations arose as part of the ICLEI program under which all ten local governments committed to
reducing GHG emissions (2002), determined an emissions baseline for their respective municipal
operations (2003), determined a countywide baseline for total GHG emissions (2004), set a countywide
GHG reduction target (2005) - 25 percent below 1990 leve.ls by 2015 - and supported the
development of the Sonoma County Community Climare Action P/an, which was published by the CPC in
2008.zz
Al1 10 local governments expanded their regional collaboration in 2008-2009 by participating in:
0 Solar Sonoma Countv, a 501c3 nonprofit public/private consortium Working Group consisting of
representatives from all ten local governments, business, community, and energy efficiency and
renewable energy industries to explore opportunities for collaboration to promote the installation
of solar technology and systems and energy efficiency measures, and overall market
transformation;Z3
o Sonoma County Re~ional Climate Protection Authority, established in 2009 to improve inter-agency
and community collaboration and coordinate government and community initiatives for climate
protection;z4
a Sonoma County Ener~y Independence Pro~ram (SCEIPI, (the first comprehensive and completely
integrated countywide Property-Assessed-Clean-Energy [PACE] financing program in the nation)
created by the County of Sonoma to provide property tax assessment financing for solar and energy
efficiency projects using Assembly Bill 811;25 and
m Sonoma County Retrofit/Renewables Pro~ram, forthcoming in spring 2010, was initiated to provide
residential and commercial property owners with one-stop access to energy analysis, certified
vendors, and a financing package for solar and energy efficiency retrofit projects, working in
collaboration with SCEIP and leveraging that existing resource.zb
Goals and Objectives
The Solar Implementation Plan (SIP) is designed to build on existing regional collaborations to encourage
the installation of solar electric and solar thermal systems, offset peak energy demand through
renewable energy generation, and reduce GHG emissions through energy efficiency.
Z2 Sonoma County Community Climate Action Plan, Climate Protection Campaign, 2008; http://www.coolplan.or
z3 Solar Sonoma County, http://www.solarsonomacounty.or~
24 Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, http://www.sctainfo.or~/rcpa.htm
25 Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, http://www.sonomacountvenergv.or~
z6 Sonoma County Retrofit/Renewabies Program, Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority,
hit : www.sctainfo.org rcpa.htm
4
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 15
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
New Solar Capacity
The SIP supports the goals of Solar Sonoma County:
m Add 25 megawatts (MW) of new solar generation by May 2011,
• Over the Iong-term, replace 250 MW of peak demand with a combination of solar energy generation
and energy efficiency, and
• Support countywide GHG reduction targets.
In March 2008, when the Solar America Cities grant was awarded, there were 13 MW of instailed solar
power systems in the county. According to PG&E, an additional 10.3 MW of solar electric generation
have been added to Sonoma County between March 2008 and December 2009, aligning with the
initiation of program efforts in Solar Sonoma County; this number does not include solar thermal system
installations.
Market Transformation
In order to meet its 2011 goal in a timely manner, the SIP focuses on regional strategies for market
transformation to remove financial, regulatory, and educational barriers to property owner
participation. Market transformation on a countywide scale offers several advantages to local
governments including the ability to coordinate with government, business, and community partners; to
collaborate on the best practices for the use of regional resources; and to avoid duplicate or competing
efforts. In addition, focusing on the countywide market allows local governments identify ways to
collaborate on standardizing policy/regulation issues such as reducing vendor costs through streamlined
permitting and code compliance procedures, updating municipal codes for additional clean energy
opportunities, and pursuing coordinated long-term strategies for sustainable community planning.
Recommendation List
The SIP includes six recommendations chosen by members of the Solar Sonoma County Working Group
and Advisory Board.
Policies/Regulations
1- Regional Standards: Seek opportunities to create regional standards that simplify the regulatory
process for solar generation and energy efficiency projects, including permitting, code compliance,
municipal building code scope/content, zoning ordinances, and general plan elements/language.
Financing/Incentives
2- Redevelopment/Community Development/Enterprise Fund Programs: Seek opportunities within
existing dedicated public funding programs (e.g., redevelopment, community development, and
enterprise funds) to focus on solar generation and energy efficiency public agency projects within the
scope of the funding program.
Education/Outreach
3- Training for Government Staff/Officials and Solar/Efficiency Vendors: Seek opportunities and
resources to provide government staff and elected officials with training and education on solar energy
5
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 16
Solar /mplementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
and energy efficiency to help support policy and permitting/code compliance decisions, and seek
opportunities to encourage and support training and certification for solar and efficiency vendors in
industry protocols, local codes and standards, and State building codes.
4- Education for Community: Seek opportunities to connect citizens with solar electric, solar thermal,
and energy efficiency information and services through existing government channels; seek new
opportunities for government to educate the community on solar power and energy efficiency and
leverage non-governmental educational opportunities, increasing public awareness and making them
more available to the community.
Market Transformation
5- Clean Energy Advocate Program: Support and promote the new countywide Clean Energy Advocate
program, help grow public awareness of this program, help grow public awareness of the program, and
assist in identification of homeowners whose homes would be good candidates for solar and efficiency
measures.
6- Request-for-Proposal/Bid Clearinghouse: Promote the creation of a countywide Web portal for
solar and efficiency government requests-for-bids to assist local vendors in identifying bidding
opportunities and providing competitive bids, and encourage government members of SSC to
participate.
Resources and Market Barriers
Resources
To reach the goal of 25 MWs of new solar power by 2011 requires a clean-energy market transformation
that will result in the removal of market barriers to solar/efficiency, the stimulation of market demand,
the development of a trained workforce, and the creation of financing mechanisms to underwrite local
investment in the new green economy. The recommendations included in the SIP are designed to
coordinate with and enhance existing resources/programs dedicated to local market transformation,
including:
Sonoma County Re~ional Climate Protection Authority: In 2009, through their representation on the
Sonoma County Transportation Authority, local governments supported the establishment of the
Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) to improve communication,
collaboration, and coordination on climate change issues among governments, business, and the
community, and establish a clearinghouse for planning, funding, and implementation efforts to
reduce GHG emissions.
• Sonoma County Ener~y Independence Pro~ram: Founded in March 2009, SCEIP is the first
comprehensive and completely integrated countywide Property-Assessed-Clean-Energy (PACE)
financing program in California under Assembly Bill 811. The County of Sonoma expanded the
application of the PACE concept to a multi-jurisdictional program that is supported by all nine
Sonoma County cities. Established during a national economic recession that significantly limits
6
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traditional financing resources, SCEIP removes one of the biggest market barriers - lack of access to
affordable financing - and is now a model for PACE programs across the nation.
• Grant Programs_ Economic recession and climate change are the focus of the federal American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which funds local government programs for job creation
and energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. Local governments have applied for ARRA
funds through several grant programs including the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant
(EECBG) program, State Energy Program (SEP), and the U.S. Department of Energy's Retrofit Ramp
Up program.27 On February 10, 2010, the State Energy Program review committee released its
recammendation that the California Energy Commission approve two local grant proposals:
$1,914,000 to the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority through an Association of
Bay Area Governments SEP grant for residential retrofitting and $2,537,000 to the County of
Sonoma through a SEP grant for municipal financing initiatives; final approval is anticipated shortly.
Additional funding may also be available through the American Clean Energy and Security Act
currently in Congress.
• Sonoma County Retrofit/Renewables Program: Using funds from their EECBG grants, the County of
Sonoma and the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma are underwriting a countywide
retrofit/renewables program for market transformation. Set to launch in June 2010, the program
will provide one-stop access to the resources residential/commercial property owners need to
complete an energy retrofit and solar installation including energy analysis and project planning,
certified solar and energy efficiency vendors, and a financing package including SCEIP, rebates,
incentives, and other applicable funding resources.
Market Barriers
While local efforts to promote solar power and energy efficiency will benefit from the above mentioned
programs for local coordination, financing, and market transformation, the marketplace still faces a
series of barriers that local government can influence, including:
• Different permitting and building code/inspection programs in each jurisdiction;
• Hardcopy processing of solar/efficiency permitting paperwork, which requires vendors to drive
paperwork to multiple offices per project;
• Different zoning ordinances and general plan regulations regarding solar and efficiency in each
jurisdiction;
• Varying levels of trainingfor government staff, elected officials, and vendors regarding solar and
efficiency technologies and code compliance in each jurisdiction;
m Different systems and locations for posting Requests for Bid for solar and efficiency projects in each
jurisdiction;
27 The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority participated in a statewide proposal for the Ramp Up Program
that coulcl bring an additional $1,65Q,000 for local residential retrofitting.
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m Need for improved communication and coordination between government building officials and
solar/efficiency vendors to reduce project processing time/cost and support high-quality, cost-
effective projects;
• Need for innovative methods to finance cost-effective solar and efficiency projects for municipal and
private buildings;
m Lack of awareness about, and identification of opportunities to use, passive solar design concepts;
o Lack of consumer understanding about the economic and environmental benefits of solar power
and energy efficiency, and
• Consumer hesitance about solar therma~ technologies based on the 1970s baom/bust cycle in which
installations of early solar thermal systems were not sufficiently supported by installer expertise and
maintenance services.
In addition, local governments currently face internal barriers caused by revenue shortfalls and staff
downsizing. The solar power and energy efficiency strategies outlined below are designed to minimize
the demand on government funding/staff time and capitalize on the resources of existing market
transformation efforts. in addition, the SIP includes additional long-term strategies (see Appendix 2:
Addition SIP Recommendations) in anticipation of improved fiscal conditions in the future
Strategies and Actions
Policies/Regulations
1- Regional Standards
Local governrnents can influence the market for solar power and energy efficiency at several levels from
project permitting and code compliance inspections, to municipal green building codes and zoning
regulations, to General Plan strategies for long-term implementation of clean power and GHG-reducing
goals. Within each of these levels there are opportunities for removing market barriers and encouraging
solar and efficiency improvements.
Marketplace Need: In the current situation, each jurisdiction maintains its own criteria for these
building and planning processes and vendors must adjust their process for obtaining permits; complying
with codes, and finding local incentives for solar and efficiency projects to accommodate different rules
between jurisdictions.
Regulatory Need: In response to AB32 and S6375,28 cities and counties are formulating strategies for
GHG reduction as a part of short-term and long-term planning for both municipal operations and the
community as a whole. As a reasonable mitigation for climate change under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Attorney General's office recommends development of
a climate action plan and states that a climate action plan (CAP) should be prepared at the same time as
zS Senate Bill 375, http://www.calapa.or~/attachments/wvsiwyg/5360/56375final.pdf
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the GenPral Plan update and be included in the associated CEQA-required Environmental Impact Report
(EIR). z9
Recognizing the current lack of legislative or other direction on the content of CAPs and the need to
establish criteria that would allow CAPs to be used in CEQA cumulative impacts analysis, the State has
developed new CEQA guidelines for climate change mitigation.30 Since 2001, all 10 local governments in
Sonoma County have participated in a climate protection initiative facilitated by the Climate Protection
Campaign (CPC) using the ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability program.31 Through this
initiative municipal GHG targets and CAPs were developed; in 2005, a community-wide GHG target was
set (i.e., 25 percent below 1990 GHG emissions levels by 2015); and in 2008 the Community Climate
Action Plan was published by the CPC that includes a comprehensive emissions analysis and roster of
potential solution strategies/approaches (including GHG reduction estimates, partner agencies, and
investment estimations) to reach the local GHG target.3z
In the current context of new CEQA guidelines and EIR requirements as well as the establishment of the
Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA), the logical forum for a discussion of
opportunities for regional standards collaboration exists through the RCPA and in the Sonoma County
Planning Directors Monthly Meeting, facilitating a discussion of (1) new requirements, (2) goals and
objectives related to land use planning and transportation identified by the RCPA and its member
governments, (3) the science-based research, analysis, and proposed solutions contained in the
Community Climate Action Plan, (4) new solution strategies, and (5) use of guidelines and planning
principles containe.d in resource documents such as Model Policies for Greenhouse Gases in General
Plans issued by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA),33
29 California Attorney General's Office, "Climate Change, the California Environmental Quality Act, and General Plan Updates
FAQ," http://a~.ca.~ov/globalwarmin~Jpdf/CEQA GP FAQs.pdf
3o California Environmental Quality Act guidelines update, http://ceres.c~.gov/ceqa/~uidelines/
31 ICLEI, http://www.icleiusa.or~/
32 Community Climate Action Plan, published in 2008, the CCAP contains science-based emissions analysis and thirty-nine
quantified GHG reduction solutions supported by detailed research. The plan and 500-pages of supporting research are
available at www.coolplan.arg
33 CAPCOA Model Policies for Greenhouse Gases in General Plans,
http~I/www capcoa or~/mode~palicies/CAPCOA%20Model%20Policies%20for%20Greenhouse%20Gases%ZOin%20General°1o20P
fans%20 `%2dJune%202009.pdf
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The following table shows opportunities for regional collaboration on standards that affect solar and
efficiency projects.
Table 1: Regional Standards Summary
~ ' n Stakeholders °' n' ~
"'~..•~; ~ ,~Convening Entity ~~~° ,
~ g ( ) ~`'~ " ' ~ Benef ts~~ M,:
''~~~
Re ulation s
~
m
;k„h~,~
~„
Less processing time (government
staff and vendors)
Streamlined documentation Redwood Empire Association
Standardized Permit Buiiding officials/staff
Forms/ Code Permit fee and processing of Code Officials
Fire officials
Compliance incentive options 34
Solar vendors
Procedures Elirninate vendor time needed to Sonoma County Regional
Efficiency vendors3s
track difFerent jurisdiction Climate Protection Authority
permitting requirements
Uniform risk assessment protocols
Uniform best practices
Reduce code development cost
Address new construction and Redwood Empire Association
Building officials/staff
of Code Officials
remodeling Fire officiais
Green Building Codes
Easier to adopt new code
Solar vendors
Sonoma County Regional
improvements Efficiency vendors
Climate Protection Authority
Eliminate vendor time needed to
track different jurisdiction codes
Create opportunities to encourage
solar/efficiency application of land Elected officials
Zoning Ordinances use policy Sonoma County Government planners
Create incentives for Planning Directors
Citizens (property owners)
solar/efficiency Monthly Meeting
Establish priorities for long-term
implementation of solar/efficiency Elected officials
Sonoma County Regional
General Plans Coordinate with regional
Climate Protection Authority p
Government lanners
transportation and air quality Citizens (property owners)
authorities
1.A - Permitting and Code Compliance
Market Barrier: Solar and efficiency vendors report that the current permitting situation (e.g., different
forms and fees for each municipality, unpredictable processing times) presents a barrier to cost-
effective service because vendors must spend time tracking and conforming to different permitting and
code compliance rules for each community in which they work and coping with delays in permit
processing. In addition, the current reliance on hardcopy processing of permits and code compliance
documents requires vendor time to hand-deliver paperwork to building department offices.
Recommendation: Standardize and streamline permitting/building code compliance processes, work
with contractors to ensure timely processing of permit applications, digitize forms to reduce the amount
of time required to prepare the forms and process applications, and institute incentives for
3alncludes solar electric and solar hot water professionals.
3s Includes building performance contractors, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) vendors, plumbing and electrical
professionals.
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solar/efficiency projects. Specific issues for regional consideration are: regional permitting forms for
large solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, and energy efficiency measures; incentive options
such as reduced/waived permit, plan, and design review fees, basing fees on the hourly rate for actual
time spent on the project, and expedited permitting; standardized building code compliance
requirements; and obtaining widespread use of regional forms and processes among building officials
and solar/efficiency vendors.
Benefits: Standardizing and streamlining permitting/code compliance processes and implementing
incentives on a regional scale offer several benefits, including:
• Less Time and Lower Fees: Using standardized forms, building code officials can minimize or
eliminate the time required to translate custom vendor documentation into criteria required for
approval. Standardized forms could also eliminate the need for plan review in many cases, which
reduces one element of permit cost, and reduces staff time. In addition, creating an online digitized
permitting process would reduce vendor costs in time and money to hand deliver paperwork to
building department offices.
m Reduced Bid and Job Costs: Coordinating permitting fees across jurisdictions would simplify the
vendor bidding process and reduce time required to track and incorporate variations in fee
structures.
Uniform Risk Evaluation: The process of establishing standardized permitting forms would enable
building officials to confer and obtain regional consensus on rnitigating solar- and efficiency-specific
risk factors such as fire venting and solar mounting safety.
Resources: Three local entities are suited to serve as co-facilitators to establish regional permitting and
code compliance processes: Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials (REACO),36 the Sonoma
County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA), and Solar Sonoma County. In addition, the
collaboration would benefit from the participation by representatives of the local solar electric/thermal
and building performance industries via trade groups such as Cafifornia Solar Energy Industries
Association,37 North Caast Builders Exchange,38 and California Building Performance Contractors
Association.39
Case Studies:
• Forms: In 2009, Steve Pantazes, Building Official for the Town of Windsor and Solar Sonoma County
Advisory Board member, led an effort to design a regional solar system permit application form with
input from the five-county Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials (REACO). The form, which
addresses residential solar systems of 5 kW or less, has been distributed to local building
departments. Pantazes reports that both building officials are at varying stages and solar vendors
36 Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials, http://www.reaco.or~/
j' California 5olar Energy Industries Association, http://calseia.org/
3a North Coast Builders Exchange, http://www.ncbeonline.com/
39 California Building Performance Contractors Association, http://www.cbpca.or~/
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are inconsistent in adopting the form due to collateral challenges such as severely reduced building
department staffing in local jurisdictions and the need for further education and training in using the
form for building department staff and vendors. Solar Sonoma County also hosted a Solar Permitting
Symposium on November 10, 2009, to discuss regional permitting standards that included building
officials and solar vendors. SSC is also initiating quarterly forums to facilitate ongoing building
official-vendor/contractor collaboration.
Expedited Processing: Solar Sonoma County's Solar America Cities partner, Minneapolis, Minnesota,
is incorporating accelerated project permitting, reduced permit fees, and "feebates" into solar
projects to encourage adoption. Portland, Oregon, has instituted an electronic permit submittal
process in which the application is reviewed within 24 hours by a staff inember trained in solar.ao
Sacramento, California, has developed a checklist for residential solar based on a universal
application prepared by Sacramento Municipal Utilities Department (SMUD). 41
0 Incentives: The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
program's Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRESOLAR) recommends
incentives such as a flat-fee permit structure or waiving permit fees and fast-tracking permitting for
solar projects.42 In addition, the DSIRESOLAR notes that, for commercial properties, flat-fees based
on actual permit processing costs are about 10 percent the cost of a valuation-calculated fee based
on the overall project cost. Among jurisdictions that have waived solar permitting fees are Los
Angeles, Santa Monica, and the counties of San Diego and San Bernardino. In addition, the City of
San Jose does not collect building permit taxes on construction or installation of solar energy
generation equipment. Builders in the County of San Bernardino who participate in the County's
green building program receive accelerated plan review, priority inspections, design assistance, and
community recognition for qualified projects. The City of Mill Valley waives select building permit
fees for solar system installations that meet five City guidelines and comply with City regulations for
the zoning district in which the installation is Iocated.43
Constr~ints: While the regional solar application form developed by Pantazes and REACO has improved
consistency among participating jurisdictions, several barriers still remain including (1) budget-related
downsizing in building departments, which affects processing time, (2) need for guidance from elected
leaders regarding the priority status of regional permitting/code compliance efforts, and (3) need for
better mutual understanding between building officials and vendors about solar and efficiency project
permitting, code compliance, and implementation methods.
Tasks: Convene and facilitate a discussion of permitting and code compliance opportunities through
existing venues provided by the Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials, Solar Sonoma County,
and Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, determine a strategy for identifying
40 Portland, Oregon, online permitting service: http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=47394
41 Sacramento, California, permitting process update:
http://sacrarnento.biziournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/10/26/story4.html?ana=from rss#
42 "Permitting Incentives," DSIRESOLAR, http://www dsireusa.or~/solar/solarpolicy~uide/index.cfm?id=16&printable=l
43 "City Policy Regarding Fee Waivers for Solar Energy Systems," November 22, 2005,
httq://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CD/main/pdf/BEST pdf/solar/MillVallev FeeFlver.pdf
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appropriate regional protocols, and seek local approval for a regional proposal. Bring recommendations
to local governing bodies as appropriate.
1.B - Green Building Programs
Market Barrier: Nine of the 10 local governments in Sonoma County have adopted green building codes,
using primarily the Build It Green program for residential and Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) program for commercial buildings. The majority of these green buildings codes are
mandatory for new construction, three include protocols for renovation projects, and the point
requirements and allocations differ between jurisdictions. The fact that the specifics and scope of the
codes vary from community to community requires solar and efficiency vendors to spend time tracking
and conforming to the specific programs for each community in which they work. In addition, smaller
communities face a barrier to implementing more rigorous codes because they lack resources to
develop them.
Recommendation: Create a regional green building program in order to (1) share lessons learned by
each community including the effect of green building ordinances (GBOs) on the marketplace and cost-
effective administration methods, (2) ensure every community has a green building program, (3) apply
GBO standards to existing buildings by including renovation requirements, and (4) minimize market
barriers to efficient processing of new and remodel green building projects.
Benefits: Standardizing green building programs on a regional scale offers several benefits, including:
s Less Time: A regional green building program would minimize the time required by vendors to track
program protocols and customize project documentation to different requirements.
0 Timelv Cost-Effective Adoption of Pro~ram Updates: A regional green buiiding program would
provide a central system for evaluating new opportunities in green building protocols and
technologies and facilitate the timely and cost-effective adoption of new best practices.44
o Support Future GHG Reduction Requirements: A regional green building program would position
local governments to respond in a timely cost-effective manner to directives from State and Federal
governments regarding GHG reduction (e.g., California Assembly Bill 32 that mandates an GHG
reduction to 1990 levels by 2020), and explore more stringent remodeling triggers to extend green
building standards and energy analysis to existing buildings.45
Resources: Three local entities are suited to serve as co-facilitators to establish a regional green building
program: Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials (REACO), the Sonoma County Regional Climate
Protection Authority (RCPA), and the Sonoma County Planning Directors Monthly Meeting.
44 The Solar America Cities partner Sacramento is preparing guidelines for implementing solar in historical districts and urban
tree canopy and building height regulations to protect access to sunlight exposure for solar systems. The City of Cotati requires
all new construction to pre-plumb for solar hot water.
45 Local examples of mandatory remodeling triggers include Cotati (commercial over 2,500 sf), Healdsburg (residential over 500
sf), Sebastopol (commercial over 1,800 sf), and Marin County (residential over 1,000 sf)
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Case Studies/Additional Resources: CALGREEN: On January 12, 2010, the California Building Standards
Commission unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation mandatory Green Building Code (CALGREEN)
for new buildings that requires increases in energy and water efficiency to assist in meeting the State's
greenhouse gas reduction goals: achieve a 33 percent renewable energy capacity by 2020; reduce GHG
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020; and achieve 80 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. The
mandatory program goes into effect on January 1, 2011, and includes additional, more stringent
voluntary requirements to encourage deeper GHG reductions. It is intended to provide a baseline "plug-
and-play" above-Title 24 code program. The program contains renewable energy guidelines such as
south-facing building orientation for solar exposure, installation of solar electric and solar thermal
systems, and roof space and pre-wiring for future solar.
Constraints: Developing a regional green building program will require staff time and the willingness to
change or update existing green building program parameters to achieve a regional consensus.
Tasks: The Redwood Empire Association of Code Officials is currently reviewing the new State code
provisions to identify opportunities to create a model code for regional adoption and is looking for input
from community partners such as the Sonoma County Planning Directors Monthly Meeting, Sonoma
County Regional Climate Protection Authority and other interested parties to identify appropriate
strategies for achieving regional consistency in local green building codes and sharing of best practices.
1.C - Zoning Ordinances
Market Barrier: Zoning ordinances offer an opportunity to explore additional options for increasing solar
and efficiency through regulatory streamlining and incentive opportunities.
Recommendation: Identify and implement options within zoning measures to encourage and support
solar and efficiency. Some potential zoning options would be:
m Solar Enhancement Zone: Based on the model of the enterprise zone, a Solar Enhancement Zone
(SEZ) would offer property owners within its boundaries a suite of incentives for new and existing
building solar installations and energy efficiency retrofits, such as free permitting, fast-track permit
processing, or high density bonus.
Infill Prolects: The SEZ could also apply to infill projects across multiple zones.
• Solar Oqtions: The SEZ requirement might require the new construction owner to implement at
least one of three solar options: solar electric, solar thermal, or passive solar design or offer a
density bonus to developers who pre-wire/pre-plumb for solar electric and solar thermal or include
preinstalled systems.
Benefits: Identifying zoning opportunities for solar/efficiency would support benefits such as:
• Integration of Solar EnerRy Generation into Land Use Plannin~: Focusing on opportunities available
through zoning ordinances would support and inform the long-term General Plan effort to capture
maximum solar energy generation capacity to minimize fossil-fuel use and peak demand load, while
creating immediate incentives for solar and energy efficiency improvements in the short-term.
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Resourcess The Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) wili be
investigating code updates for new construction to create incentives for solar installations as part of a
code review to identify greenhouse gas reduction opportunities in zoning and general plan updates; this
effort is funded by the County's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grant program (EECBG).
Case Studies: The City of Sonoma has pioneered a variation on the solar enhancement zone concept
with two programs: Solar Energy Business Loan and Energy Efficiency Matching Funds programs, which
provide a local example of how incentives for solar and efficiency projects might be tied to zoning.
Applicable to businesses with the City's redevelopment zones, the Solar Energy Business Loan Program
provides a maximum loan amount of $.50,000 at 3 percent interest for owners of existing commercial
properties who are installing solar electric or solar thermal systems. The Energy Efficiency Matching
Funds Program provides a maximum $1,000 dollar-for-dollar matching-fund loan for a range of
efficiency improvements including lighting retrofits, insulation installation, weatherization measures,
energy management systems, and HVAC system upgrades; the loan is forgivable after a year upon
verification that the efficiency measures are installed and maintained.46
Constraints: The current economic recession has limited the resources and staff available to exp4ore
new planning strategies; however, regional collaboration on this issue could minimize the cost to
individual governments and result in regional approaches that streamline processes and encourage the
implementation of best practices.
Tasks: Convene discussion of zoning opportunities through the already scheduled Sonoma County
Planning Directors Monthly Meeting code update process and share idenfified strategies and concepts
with local government planning departments for early adoption.
1.D - General Plans
Background: As the means by which communities set local priorities and def+ne long-term goals,
General Plans offer multiple opportunities to support the widespread adoption of solar electric, solar
thermal, and energy efficiency. General Plans are also emerging as an important tool in regional
planning to meet local and State GHG reduction targets. In 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger set a
precedent by signing Executive Order S-3-05, which establishes a series of long-term GHG reduction
targets for State agencies.47 In 2006, Assembly Bill 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act) established a GHG
target to reduce total statewide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and assigned the California Air
Resources Board with the task to set regional targets and strategies in a Scoping PIan.48 In addition,
Senate Bill 375 (2008) established additional direction to local government on land use planning for GHG
46 City of Sonoma's Solar Energy Business Loan Program
(http~//www sonomacitv or~/uploads/Econ%20Devel/CDA%20Guidelines°/n20Nov08Solar.pdf); Energy Efficiency Matching
Funds Program (http~//wwwsonomacity or~/uploads//Econ%20Devel/CDA Guidelines Oct08Ener~y.pdf)
47 Executive Order 5-3-05 requires State agencies to achieve 2000 GHG emission levels by 2010, 1990 GHG emission levels by
2020, and 80 percent below 1990 GHG emission levels by 2050.
°S Climate Change Scoping Plan: A Framework for Change, California Air Resources Board, December 2008,
htt : www.arb.ca.~ov/cc/scopingplan/document/adopted scopin~ plan.pdf
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reduction.49 In June 2009, the California Air Poliution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) published
Model Policies for Greenhouse Gases in Genera/ Plans, 50 which provides resources and guidance on
incorporating GHG reduction goals into the General Plan process. In its report, CAPCOA emphasizes the
importance of coordinating General Plan updates with regional planning tools such as regional
"blueprint plans" (i.e., compendium of local government recommendations on land use and transporta-
tion provided to regional transportation/metropolitan planning entities), regional transportation plans,
and air quality district attainment plans. The above initiatives highlight the growing importance of the
General Plan process in capturing the GHG-reducing potential of renewable energy and energy
efficiency and as a conduit for regional coordination.
Recommendat+on: Local governments can engage RCPA and NGOs input and support to enhance local
General Plans through the inclusion of best practices and forward-thinking policies for renewable energy
and energy efficiency. This will allow local governments to maximize opportunities for realizing a
sustainable, clean-energy community and achieving compliance with State and local GHG reduction
goals.
Benefits: Updating General Plans for renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions provide a
variety of benefits, including:
• State and local GHG reduction compliance: General Plan provisions can expand opportunities for
GHG reduction through measures such as designation of and protection for sites suited to
renewable energy generation and flexible zoning to allow use of open space for renewable energy
projects.
• Expansion of new construction markets for renewable energy and ener~y efficiency: General Plan
provisions for new construction can set the long-term vision for green building and renewable
energy regulations that capture maximum cost-effectiveness through the integration of solar energy
generation, passive solar, and efficiency features during the project design phase.
0 Optimize green building standards: Establish preferred priority status for green building policy that
exceeds State requirements and incorporates emerging best practices such as "solar-ready"
standards and passive solar requirements for new buildings.
o Identify and remove proiect processing barriers: General Plan provisions can establish protocols for
streamlining processing procedures for new and existing building projects for renewable energy and
energy efficiency.
Resources: The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) and the Sonoma County
Planning Directors Monthly Meeting are likely resources for convening a regional discussion on climate
49 California Senate Bill 375 (2008) directs the California Air Resources Board to set regional reduction targets for
transportation-related GHG emissions and focus on opportunities forGHG reduction through "sustainable community
strategies" for land-use planning.
5° Lee, Barbara, and Yu, John. 2009. Model Policies for Greenhouse Gases in General Plans, California Air Pollution Control
Officers Association (CAPCOA), http~//www capcoa or~/modelpolicies/CAPCOA-ModelPolicies-6-12-09-915am.pdf
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protection strategies for general plan updates. In addition, the new Attorney General rules regarding the
State's new CEQA and EIR requirements for climate action plans (CAPs)51 coupled with the local regional
approach, as evidenced by the founding of the RCPA, and the existing countywide Community Climate
Action Plan, offer an unique opportunity to use the updating of the regional climate action plan as a
means to coordinate strategies for general plans and zoning. Additional resources include the California
Air Resources Board's (ARB~ Local Government Toolkit,5z and the ARB Local Actions for Climate Change
Website.s3
Case Studies:
m The Marin County Sustainability Program received the National Planning Excellence Award for
Implementation in 2008 from the American Planning Association for its ground-breaking strategies
for GHG reduction.54 The County's progressive strategies for clean energy and GHG reduction are
incorporated in its General Plan (i.e. Marin Countywide Plan), which includes features such as
expedited permitting and fee waivers for projects that exceed state and local building standards,
solar installations that meet 75 percent of the project energy needs, and projects that meet green
building checklist requirements; technical assistance; green building resource library; trainings for
staff, building professionals, and the public; and coordination with other municipalities.ss
• In June 2009, the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) published Model
Policies for Greenhouse Gases in General Plans, which provides recommendations on General Plan
options for clean energy and GHG reduction gleaned from a survey of best practices in a variety of
jurisdictions. The report provides background on environmental and legislative conditions and a list
of General Plan element and provision examples for local government consideration.
Constraints: The current economic recession has limited the resources and staff available to explore
new planning strategies; however, regional collaboration on this issue could minimize the cost to
individual governments and result in regional approaches that affect the full greenhouse gas emissions
picture (e.g., transportation, electricity/natural gas use, water efficiency) and implement consistent best
practices.
Tasks: Convene discussion of General Plan opportunities through the already scheduled Sonoma County
Planning Directors Monthly Meeting code update process and coordinate with discussion regarding
updating the countywide climate action plan for CEQA-compliance and local government adoption.
sl Amended CEQA guidelines, effective March 18, 2010,
http•/(ceres ca ~ovJceqa/docs/Adopted and Transmitted Text of SB97 CEQA Guidelines Amendments.pdf
Sz California Air Resources Board, Local Government Toolkit, http://www.coolcalifornia.org/local-~overnment
s3 California Air Resources Board, Local Actions for Climate Change Website,
htt : www.arb.ca.gov/cc/localaction/localaction.htm
54 YouTube video on Marin County Sustainability Program: http://www.~outube.com/watch?v=39XOb53forM&feature=user
ss Marin Countywide Plan, http://www.co.rnarin.ca.us/depts/CD/main/comdev/ADVANCE/CWP/INDEX.cfm
17
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Solar Sonoma County
Financing/Incentives
2- Redevelopment, Community Development, and Enterprise Funds
and Energy Service Company Option
Market Barrier: For public and private property owners, the cost of solar and energy efficiency
improvements is frequently the most significant barrier to taking action. Rebates and tax benefits
reduce the overall cost and financing these efforts spreads the cost over time.
Recommendation: Identify local government community development/redevelopment funds as well as
public utility (water; sewer and waste management) enterprise funds to underwrite solar and energy
efficiency projects and identify opportunities to use the Energy Service Company (ESCo) model in which
an ESCo develops, installs and monitors, and provides financing for municipal projects; and assumes the
risk that the energy savings and reduced maintenance costs will be sufficient to repay the capital
improvement financing.s6
Benefits: The benefits of additional funding sources include:
Public and private property improvements: Redevelopment Agencies can use their funding sources
for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for both public and private properties. ESCo can
also be used for public and private properties.
• Not General Fund mone : The use of Redevelopment, Community Development, and enterprise
funds does not affect local government General Funds, which are severely limited by current
economic conditions. ESCos also allow governments to finance projects without using General Fund
money.
• Funds produce ener~y cost savings: Enterprise funds and ESCo vendors can be used for projects that
provide solar energy sources for their operations and improve efficiency, resulting in energy cost
savings and stabilizing future energy costs.
Resources: Community development/redevelopment agency and enterprise funds for solar and energy
efficiency projects are available to local governments. Redevelopment Agencies can use property tax
increment revenues and Tax Allocation Bond proceeds for public and private projects within designated
redevelopment zones and affordable housing projects within jurisdictional boundaries. Enterprise funds
come from user fees for services like water, sewer, and waste management. Projects that maintain or
improve these services can use enterprise funds or revenue bonds guaranteed by these user fees. ESCo
financing is typically used by municipal agencies and districts and is dependent on a well-designed
project scope to yield energy savings equal to or larger than the financing costs.
s6 National Association of Energy Service Companies: http://www.naesco.or~/resources/esco.htm
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Background/Case Studies:
The City of Sonoma used their Community Development Agency as a source of funding for its Solar
Energy Business Loan Program,57 which provides commercial property owners within their
redevelopment district a loan of up to $50,000 for the installation of a solar electric system, and its
Energy Efficiency Matching Funds Program,58 which provides business and commercial property
owners with up to $1,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant for efficiency improvements such as
lighting upgrades, insulation, weatherization, energy management systems, and HVAC upgrades.
m The City of Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) use their enterprise funds for
solar and energy efficiency projects. The City of Santa Rosa Utilities Department began
implementing solar energy in 2004 at the Laguna Treatment Plant with a 21kW solar panel system.
This array generates approximately 33,400 kWh of energy annually that helps offset the operational
energy use of the pfant. The Sonoma County Water Agency has installed energy efficiency
improvements including window film application and lighting retrofits. The window film application
has a lifetime of 15 years and saves SCWA approximately 30,000 kWh annually. More than 600
lighting fixtures were retrofitted and provides SCWA approximately 62,000 kWh in annual savings.
• The City of Sebastopol used water and sewer enterprise funds to finance solar projects that served
the wastewater collection system and water distribution system. Vn addition, Redevelopment
Project Funds were used to finance a portion of the installation cost for solar on the Police Station
and Redevelopment Affordable Housing Funds were used to finance the installation of solar on two
affordable housing projects, totaling 65 housing units.
o The County of Sonoma the Energy Service Company model to implement is Comprehensive Energy
Project (CEP), which is a component of the County's municipal Climate Protection Action Plan. The
CEP is being implemented as a design/build project under the authority of Government Code
Section 4217.10 et. seq., which allows public agencies to award energy saving projects to Energy
Services Companies (ESCo) on the basis of experience, type of technology employed, cost, or other
relevant considerations. The CEP includes lighting retrofits for 20 buildings, replacement or
reconstruction of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment for four buildings,
replacement of chillers and other equipment at the Central Mechanical Plant, water reduction
retrofit of several large County facilities, and installation of a 1.4 megawatt fuel cell power
generation plant with heat recovery.
Constraints: Use of Redevelopment Project Funds requires that the location of specific projects be
within the community's redevelopment zones. Projects funded by Redevelopment Affordable Housing
funds can be located anywhere within the jurisdiction. An Implementation Plan containing specific goals
and objectives for redevelopment projects, and estimated expenditures must be adopted every five
57 City of Sonoma Solar Energy Business Loan Program,
http:/Jwww.sonomacity.org/uploads/Econ%20Devel/CDA%20Guidelines%2QNov085ofar.pdf
58 City of .Sonoma Energy Efficiency Matching Funds Program,
http://wwwsonomacitv.or~/uploads//Econ%20Devel/CDA Guidelines OctO$Ener~V.pdf
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Solarlmp/ementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
years. In order to use redevelopment funds for energy efficiency/renewable energy projects, they must
be included as a component of the Five-Year Implementation Plan. Uses of enterprise funds are limited
to operations and projects of that enterprise or utility (e.g., water, sewer, and airport).
Tasks: In order to use redevelopment funds, language such as, "programs for energy efficiency
improvements including but not limited to photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, and upgraded utility
systems" should be amended to the Redevelopment Five-Year Implementation Plan at the earliest
opportunity.
Education
3- Training for Government Staff/Elected Officials and Solar/Efficiency Vendors
Market Barrier: Solar power technologies and energy efficiency measures represent the emergence of a
new marketplace for green services. Along with that new marketplace come technologies and
techniques unique to these industries and their ultimate product: clean energy. Many of the newest and
most effective innovations in solar and efficiency go beyond State code requirements. Building officials
are increasingly short-staffed and over-worked, yet market-generated technologies/techniques are
growing every day. On the other hand, solar and efficiency vendors are also pressed to track updates in
State codes that affect their projects. In this accelerated environment, both vendors and code officials
need support to keep abreast of industry and code developments and minimize in-field instruction to
remediate installation problems as they work together to complete successful projects. Mutual training
opportunities should be pursued whenever possible.
Recommendations:
Government Staff/Elected Officials: Establish regular opportunities to educate and train municipal staff
and elected officials on energy efficiency and renewable energy:
o Provide ongoing educational programs for government elected officials on energy polices,
regulations, and funding opportunities.
m Train building permit staff in current solar and energy efficiency techniques and regulations so they
can be frontline representatives for property owners seeking to remodel, retrofit, or build new
structures.
Solar/Efficiency Vendors: Encourage local clean energy vendor communities to participate in industry
certification programs that maximize the quality of local service delivery, reduce delays in project
permitting and inspection completion, and promote consumer confidence.
• Support and partner with local clean energy industry trade groups to encourage widespread vendor
participation in recognized certification programs.
e Support local clean energy vendor participation in the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program,
which includes vendor protocols and certification guidelines.
20
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Solar Sonoma County
Co-Training Strategy: Training/certification programs and industry update workshops provide an
opportunity for building code officials, solar/efficiency vendors, and other building trade professionals
to learn together and share knowledge.
• Provide co-training opportunities for building officials and industry vendors to encourage better
understanding of the needs of the other party, facilitate effective working relationships, reduce hold
ups, and find opportunities to save time and expedite projects.
Benefits: Training and education programs have both immediate and ongoing benefits, including:
• Time-efficient inspection of solar/energy efficiency proiects: Building officials will be aware of
current solar and efficiency regulations and technologies when reviewing projects. Solar and
efficiency vendors will be aware of new code and project inspection issues and opportunities to be
proactive in project implementation.
• Informed assessment of clean ener~y opportunities: Elected officials can ensure that solar and
energy efficiency are considered in all projects and programs coming to their attention.
Informed constituents: Elected and building official awareness of solar/energy efficiency resources
and concepts offers additional opportunities for them to share key ideas and benefits with the
public during the regular course of business, directly benefiting the entire community and the
environment. Solar/efficiency vendor awareness of code and inspection issues offers additional
opportunities for them to ensure timely project approvals and foster consumer confidence in high
quality project results.
Maximize emergin~ technolo~ies: Training for government staff and solar/efficiency vendors in new
technologies and solar/energy-efficiency products ensures that projects use the most efficient
approach and have the greatest benefits. Training in new building code requirements ensures
solar/efficiency vendors can reduce costs associated with delays in project approval and permitting
caused by code issues.
s Buildin artnershi between buildin officials and local vendors: When building officials and
solar/efficiency vendors participate together in training courses, relationships are created that help
buiid trust between these two groups.
Resources: Training opportunities for elected officials, building officials, and vendors can be coordinated
through several local entities, including REACO, RCPA, local governments, and Solar Sonoma County. In
addition, local, state, and national organizations frequently offer Webinars and other internet-based
information and training, as well as traditional classroom-based so~ar/energy efficiency training
programs, conferences, and workshops.
Case Studies:
o On January 25, 2010, the City of Santa Rosa's Solar America Cities program, Redwood Empire
Association of Code Officials (REACO), and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) hosted a
21
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 32
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Solar Sonoma County
Solar pomestic Thermal Inspection Course for code officials and solar thermal vendors.
Underwritten by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's IREC program, the course provided
an overview of system theory and building, mechanical, plumbing, and energy conservation codes.
• On November 10, 2009, Solar Sonoma County hosted a Solar Permitting Symposium for building
official and solar vendors that featured presentations from building officials on current and future
regulations, examples of common installation mistakes found during compliance inspections, and
group brainstorm on solutions for common implementation problems.
• San Jose, California, (a Solar America City) hosted a Regional Renewable Energy Permitting
Symposium that attracted 120 building, code, fire, and permitting leaders from 22 Bay Area cities
and solar representatives to improve the solar permitting process.59
euildinp Officials and Solar/Efficiency Vendors: There are a variety of training resources for government
and industry participants for residential and commercial properties. An important cornerstone of the
clean energy industry is the California Energy Commission's Horne Energy Rating System (HERS) for
whole-house raters, which provides property owners with a clean energy plan (i.e., energy analysis) that
supports high quality installation of energy efficiency features in California homes.60 Technical and
build+ng code training is also provided by the code official associations, solar industry, building
performance contractor industry, PG&E's Public Goods program, and the Redwood Empire Association
of Code Officials, which has hosted two regional trainings and is planning additional training events.61
Industry-specific technical as well as building code training programs and education opportunities are
provided by:
• Solar: CALSEIA is the California Solar Energy Industries Association. It supports the widespread
adoption of solar thermal and solar electric systems by educating consumers and supporting solar
legislation, This organization has members that are manufacturers, contractors, utilities, educational
organizations and local governments. Its goals include legislation to help achieve an open and
competitive market, create and/or modify codes, standards and regulations to promote safety,
reliability, durability, and reduce costs and improve construction efficiency.6Z
o Solar: North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is a voluntary board of
renewable energy stakeholder representatives from the solar industry, NABCEP certificants,
renewable energy organizations, policy makers, educational groups, and the trades. NABCEP
provides voluntary training/certification programs for solar electric and solar thermal to promote
renewable energy, support solar vendors, promote worker safety and skill, and increase consumer
confidence.63
59 httq•//wwwsanioseca.~ov/esd/natural-ener~v-resources/RenewableEner~y5vmposiumRe~istration.htm
60 ~www.ener~v.ca.~ov/HERS/index.html
61 For information of REACO training events, visit: htip:/fwww.reaco.or~Jeducation.htm
bZ www.calseia.or~
63 htt : www.nabcep.or~/certification/the-need-for-certification
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• Solar: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has been a strong local supporter
of solar energy efforts and provides training for installers of solar energy systems and is a partner in
Solar Sonoma County.64
• HERS: CaICERTS, Inc. is a private organization approved by the California Energy Commission to
provide 2008 Title 24, Part 6 Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing services and HERS II whole-
house energy analysis services under the forthcoming HERS II program.6s
m HERS: The California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System (CHEERS) has been approved by the
Energy Commission to oversee HERS Raters providing 2008 Title 24, Part 6 Field Verification and
Diagnostic Testing services and HERS II whole-house energy analysis services under the forthcoming
HERS II program,66
• HERS: California Building Performance Contractors Association provides training and certification to
HERS raters 2d08 Title 24, Part 6 Field Verification and Diagnostic Testing services, HERS II whole-
house energy analysis services under the forthcoming HERS II program, and home performance
contracting with the Building Performance Institute's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
program.67
• GreenPoint Rated: Build It Green is a non-profit organization that works to accelerate the adoption
of green building practices. Build It Green is the certification body for Certified Green Building
Professional and GreenPoint Rated rater program.b$
Public Good Training: PG&E offers a wide range of solar and energy efficiency training opportunities
for different audiences and education levels, both online and in the classroom.69
Building Code Training: Training in California building codes and code compliance can be obtained
through the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC)70 and California Building
Officials (CALBO).71
Elected.Officials: Educational opportunities and Websites aimed at a non-technical audience are
provided by several organizations, including:
The US Department of Energy's website for informatian on energy efficiency and renewable
energy technologies.'Z
o The US Environmental Protection Agency's Local Climate and Energy Program.73
64 www.ibew.or~
6s www.calcerts.com
66 www.cheers.or~
67 www.ch~pca,org
68 www.buildit~reen.or~
69 www.pQe.cpm/mvbusiness/edusafetv/trainin~
70 htt~//www.cabec.or~/education.~hp
71 http://www.calbo.or~/industry pro(default.~x
n
www.eere.energy.gov
23
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• The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).74
• The California-based Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT).75
• Solar Sonoma County.76
Recognizing that elected leaders have less need for detailed training and greater time constraints,
solar/energy efficiency educational opportunities can be rnost easily used if they are integrated into
existing opportunities.
Solar Sonoma County provides local training and educational workshops and events for a range of
participants. Organizations that may be able to co-host or provide training venues include:
• Sonoma County Re~ional Climate Protection Authority could provide ongoing education targeted to
their Board of Directors, composed of elected representatives from all Sonoma County jurisdictions,
at their monthly meetings.
• The Mayors and Council Members Association has bimonthly meetings and can organize special
study sessions for all County elected officials.
o The Climate Protection: Everybodv Profits Conference, organized by the Climate Protection
Campaign, is another ideal opportunity to include solar/energy efficiency information aimed at
elected officials.
o The City Mana~ers meeting is another monthly forum where discussion of these issues with senior
governmental managers is available.
Constraints: An organized system to notify local government officials and staff about appropriate
educational and training opportunities requires on-going staff time to set up and maintain notification
lists, identify educational and training opportunities, and prepare and distribute the information. Local
educational and training programs require funding for the people and other resources to plan and
implement these events.
Tasks:
o Identify a host organization and ongoing funding for an education and training notification system.
The mission of Solar Sonoma County makes it a good choice for operating an education and training
notification system as well as a potential organizer of local events. The Sonoma County Regional
Climate Protection Authority would be an ideal public agency to coordinate this project. Utilization
of the City manager's group for notification of elected officials is also recommended.
73 www.eqa.gav/cleanener~y/ener~v-programs/state-and-local/local.html
74 www.dsireusa.or~
75 www.ceert•org
76 www.solarsonomacountv.org
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Set up and maintain notification lists of public officials and building permit staff, with separate lists
for the type of educational or training event; (i.e., policy and funding for elected and/or other policy-
oriented officials, and technical training for building permit staff).
m Track and identify educational and training opportunities, summarize and post on a Website and
distribute the information via e-updates or a similar notification system.
• Develop and present specific topic workshops and training events as local training and educational
needs are identified.
4 - Education for Community
Market Barrier: Solar and energy efficiency have been part of the community discussion since the 1973
energy crisis that challenged the societal belief in the invincibility of a fossil fuel-based economy and
introduced the benefits of energy conservation and renewable energy sources. However, it would take
another three decades and the emergence of climate change to position these technologies for
widespread implementation. Today local solar and efficiency vendors are still the lead providers of
property owner education, spending significant time providing a client with the information he/she
needs to identify project goals and benefits and make a sound investment decision." While their effort
is supported by education campaigns sponsored by partners such as PG&E, Sonoma County Energy
Watch, Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, and Solar Sonoma County, there is still a need to
educate the community on the solar/efficiency benefits, technologies, and project planning in order to
encourage the high participation levels needed to meet local solar energy generation and GHG
reduction goals.
Recommendation: Identify opportunities for local government to (1) support the use of existing
education channels or (2) support the creation of new initiatives to educate citizens about the
economic, environmental, and community values of solar electric and thermal systems and energy
efficiency upgrades to encourage property owner participation and reduce GHG emissions from
buildings.
Benefits: Providing consistent and comprehensive community education on solar and efficiency will
produce the following benefits:
m Well-informed property owners: Property owners and renters who understand the basic science and
economics that lead to a successful solar/efficiency project will be better equipped to identify their
project goals and navigate project implementation.
• Create market demand for high participation: By allowing the use of its existing communication
channels and collaborating on new education initiatives, local government can encourage
responsible implementation of solar and efficiency projects and community interest in solar and
efficiency improvements.
" Local vendors report they can spend from one to two or more hours (depending on the property owner's prior familiarity
with clean energy technologies) educating potential clients about the basic principles and benefits of solar and energy efficiency
upgrades.
25
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Solar Sonoma County
o Increase tax revenue throu~h solar/efficiency-related economic activitv and iob creation: For the
next two to three years (2010 -2012) federal stimulus funding will support job creation and GHG
reduction efforts to initiate a local economic recovery.
Community Education - Build on Existing Education Channels
Recommendation: Use existing educational channels to outreach to the community to increase
instal~ation of energy efficiency and solar energy projects.
Benefits: The benefits of using existing educational resources include:
0 Cost-effective: Adding information about energy efficiency and solar energy to existing outreach
tools can be accomplished with little or no additional cost.
• Diverse messa~ing media: There are many current educational tools, offering a variety of contact
points with the public, increasing the possibility of contacts with the public.
• Frequencv: Current communications with the public are frequent, multiplying the likelihood that this
information will be noticed.
Resources: Existing communication tools to provide solar and energy efficiency information to Sonoma
County residents and businesses include:
~ Utility bills (water, energy, garbage) - Web and/or phone contact information can be printed
directly on the bill, with more detailed information provided using inserts.
m "Bug ads" - Print bug ads with web contact information on the envelopes used for other agency
business (see below).
o City newsletters - Many communities send newsletters to residents. Solar and efficiency
information should be regularly highlighted in existing newsletters.
• Tax bills - Web and/or phone contact information can be printed directly on the bill, with more
detailed information provided using inserts.
m Building department displays - Educational and literature displays in city hall and building
department lobbies, libraries, and other public offices.
26
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Solar Sonoma County
• City/County Websites - Provide links to the forthcoming Web portal that will be co-hosted by
Sonoma County Energy Independence Program and the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program,
which will include a roster of energy efficiency and solar information, access to energy analysis
services, roster of efficiency and solar vendors, and access to project financing resources such as
SCEIP, rebates, incentives, and tax credits.
e Demonstrate examples of solar and energy efficiency projects using public buildings or selected
private facilities and publicize with press releases to local newspapers.
• Partner with the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program and SCEIP to circulate solar and
efficiency information to local organizations to include in their newsletters and on their Websites,
including community service clubs (e.g., Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, etc.), trade and business
organizations (e.g., SEIU, IBEW, Teamsters, North Coast Builders Exchange, Chambers of Commerce,
Farm Bureau, North Bay Association of Realtors, Sonoma County Alliance, GoLocal, etc.),
environmental organizations (e.g., Climate Protection Campaign, Sierra Club, Sonoma County
Conservation Council, Sonoma County Conservation Action, Greenbelt Alliance, Sustainable Sonoma
County, etc.), and Sonoma County religious organizations.
• Support and partner with the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program and SCEIP to provide a
speakers bureau service for local community groups providing presentations to the groups such as
those listed above.
• Provide government staff in partnership with NGO staff such as SSC to answer questions about solar
and energy efficiency by tabling at large public events such as the County Fair, Farmers Markets,
Santa Rosa Downtown Market, etc.
• Include Web links to solar and energy efficiency information in government emails with notices
about upcoming meetings.
• Put Web link to Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program and SCEIP as a footer on staff/official
emails.
o Create regular press releases to local newspapers and magazines (Press Democrat, Business Journal,
The eohemian, etc.) that highlight different solar and energy efficiency benefits or programs such as
the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program,
Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, and other local education efforts.
• Disseminate education and information through online marketing and social media communication
channels.
Background/Case Studies: The communication tools listed above, although focused on other
conservation issues, have been used for many years by the Sonoma County Waste Management
27
Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 38
Solar Implementation Plan
Solar Sonoma County
Agency,'$ the Sonoma County Water Agency,79 and the Santa Rosa Utilities Department.80 They have a
wealth of experience in these methods and should be used as a resource.
Constraints: Implementing the above opportunities to update existing communication methods for
community outreach may require some staff time and additional funding. Coordinating these strategies
through the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority and partnering with existing regional
and nonprofit groups offers opportunities to minimize funding and staff time demands.
Tasks: Coordinate with the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, Countywide
Retrofit/Renewables Program, SCEIP, and other local groups such as Solar Sonoma County to identify
the best means for obtaining regional information resources and implementing their dissemination
through existing communication channels.
New Education Initiatives
Recommendation: Seek new opportunities to expand community education opportunities.
Case Studies: A survey of community education initiatives from the Solar America Cities program yielded
the following options for consideration; many of these initiatives are implemented through
public/private /nonprofit partnerships:
• Door-to-door nei~hborhood education programs: Defined by the California Energy Commission as a
Tier-1 initiative under the California Comprehensive Residential Building Retrofit Program, these
programs typically employ entry-level people with limited training or neighborhood/community
organizations in door-to-door campaigns to provide simple energy efficiency measures and
education. They provide immediate assistance installing compact fluorescent bulbs, low-flow
showerheads and faucet aerators, and identify appliances that are good candidates for replacement
with a high efficiency model. In addition, they provide advice on behavioral measures such as
turning the thermal heater to 120°F, properly operating windows for ventilation, and using shades
to keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Examples include:
o The Neighborhood Collaboration Program in Denver, Colorado, (a Solar America City) partners
with the Mile High Youth Corp to provide outreach to low-income households that includes
porch light upgrades, forms to cancel junk mail, a checklist energy audit, and referral to the local
Weatherization Assistance Program provider for eligible households.81
m In March 2010, the City of Sebastopol and the North Bay Association of Realtors launched a
door-to-door campaign to provide residences and businesses with information and coupons for
water and energy conservation measures from PG&E, the Sonoma County Energy Independence
Program, and other resources.
78 Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, http://www.recvclenow.or
79 Sonoma County Water Agency, http://www.scwa.ca.~ov/index.php
80 City of Santa Rosa, http://www.ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/utilities/Pa~es/default.aspx
81 Denver's Neighborhood Collaborative: www.groundworkdenver.or~/nei~hborhood-collaborative.htm
28
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Solar Sonoma County
o Tours of buildings with solar svstems and efficiencv up~rades: Two Solar America Cities (i.e.,
Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington) host annual tours of homes and businesses that have
installed solar systems and efficiency measures. They participate in the National Solar Tour program,
which provides guidance on how to plan and implement public tours of improved properties for
community education.$Z During the tours, visitors can speak with the building owners about their
solar system performance, energy-savings upgrades, use of sustainable principles in building design,
and green building materials. Solar Oregon, a public/private partnership based in Portland, Oregon,
also coordinates the Oregon Green and Solar Tour, a tour program providing 13 tours in five
communities across Oregon. In addition, Solar Oregon also hosts a Goal Net Zero Tour in May
featuring one green home under construction, one recently built Net Zero home, and one vintage
home in the early stages of a Net Zero renovation.83 In addition, Build it Green, the nonprofit
organization promoting green new construction and remodeling practices and standards, sponsors a
Bay Area-wide GreenPoint Showcase Tour featured GreenPoint Rated homes.84
• Propertv owner classes in solar basics: Solar Oregon is a non-profit membership organization
providing public education and community outreach to encourage Oregonians to choose solar
energy and a partner with the Oregon Department of Energy and City of Portland in the Solar Now
project.85 Solar Oregon offers a five course curriculum for property owners that includes: Residential
Basics of Going Solar, Commercial Basics of Going Solar, How to Buy a Solar Electric System, How to
Buy a Solar Thermal System, and Passive Solar Building Design.
Web portal and GIS86 map of solar systems: Eleven of the 25 Solar America Cities have or are in the
process of developing geographical information system (GIS) maps of their communities that show
where solar systems have been installed and include the ability to click on the colored dot indicating
a solar installation to view a photo and other information about the project. Solar Sonoma County,
the County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program are partnering on a
GIS mapping feature similar to the one provided on the Sonoma County Energy Action (SCEA) Web
site.87 Local governments can support the countywide project by informing property owners with
retrofit projects about the opportunity to participate in the local GIS map project and support the
project by providing contact information for property owners with new solar and energy efficiency
projects.
e Nei~hborhood networks: The Empowerment Institute sponsors the Cool America program to
organize education and behavior change at the neighborhood level. Local governments can partner
with existing neighborhood associations to sponsor "Carbon Reducing Teams" through efforts such
az The National Solar Tour program is sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit dedicated to "inspiring an
era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy," NST anticipates the October 2010 national
tour will host 160,000 visitors and include 5,000 buildings in 3,200 communities nationwide,
http://ases.org/index.php?option=com content&view=article&id=158&Itemid=l6
83 Solar Oregon Net Zero Tour: www.solarore~on.or~/tours/~oal-net-zero-home-tour
84 2009 GreenPoint Showcase Tour information: http://www.builditgreen.org/greenpoint-showcase/
85 Solar Now: http:/Lwww.solarnoworegon.org/abaut.html
86 Geographical information system (GIS)
87 Sonoma County Energy Action: www.sonomacountyener~yaction.or~
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Solar Implementation P/an
Solar Sonoma County
as the Cool America program, which uses the book, Low Carbon Diet: A 30-Day Program to Lose
5,000 Pounds, as a teaching tool to help neighbors form carbon reducing teams to learn how to
reduce their energy use and explore renewable energy generation. The program also includes
resources to host two-to-four-hour Global Warming Cafe workshops for large-group dialogues about
ways to empower the community to becorne part of the climate protection solution.88
Suggestions: The Solar Sonoma County community also proposed several new ideas:
m Net zero holidaY li~hts contest: Sponsoring a"Net Zero Holiday Lights" or "No Coal in Your Stocking"
contest featuring homes and businesses with holiday displays that use LED lights, have offset their
display energy use, or are powered by solar generation.
Clean energv leader awards: Establishing a community Clean Energy Leader Award to recognize
property owners who have made significant reductions in their fossii fuel energy use through
efficiency and solar. Such a program could be countywide with awards granted to the top two-to-
three clean energy candidates from each community. The criteria for selection would be a per-
capita clean energy use (or carbon footprint) calculation that would accommodate improvements to
the building and occupant behavior. On a countywide basis, the property owner who achieves the
lowest per-capita footprint would receive a special award and special acknowledgement would go to
his/her community.
m Labelin~ pro~ram for retrofitted/solarized homes: Local governments could collaborate and partner
with the Sonoma County Retrofit/Renewables Program and the Sonoma Cou.nty Energy
fndependence Program to provide a Clean Energy signage program that identifies properties in the
community that have undergone an efficiency/solar upgrade. The signs could, where applicable,
include energy use ratings from HERS II and GreenPoint Rated as well as the City or County insignia
and be designed to be displayed in a window or on the exterior of the building.
Constraints: Because of current economic conditions that limit government resources and staff time,
local governments could partner in such educational projects with local programs such as the Sonoma
County Energy Independence Program, Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program, or Regional Climate
Protection Authority and nonprofits such as Solar Sonoma County, Climate Protection Campaign,
Efficiency First, Build It Green, and Redwood Empire Green Building Council.
Tasks: Identify appropriate new outreach initiatives, seek partners, identify existing community
outreach resources that can be applied to new initiatives, and seek approval of local jurisdictions for
new program concepts. .
88 The Caol America program is sponsored by the Empowerment Institute, which is dedicated to empowering communities to
achieve measurable behavior change at the community and organizational level,
http:/Jwww.empowermentinstitute.net/Icd/Icd files/Cool America Flier color sm.pdf
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Ntarket '~ransformation
5- Clean Energy Advocate Program
Market Barrier: Property owners planning to implement a deep-energy reduction project combining
efficiency measures, water conservation, and solar energy generation are challenged to find an
integrated source for education about the process and available technologies and opportunities, as well
as financing options. The time required to research options, talk to vendors and finance sources, and
determine a project strategy can be significant and become a barrier to project completion.
The City of Santa Rosa has been awarded a Solar America Cities Special Projects grant to establish a
countywide Clean Energy Advocate Program (CEA) that will provide an independent non-commercial
advocate to help property owners navigate the planning and implementation of deep energy retrofit
projects, combining energy and water efficiency and solar energy generation.89 The program targets
residential and small business property owners.
The goals of the CEA program are to (1) provide an independent advocate to educate property owners
about project planning, financing, and implementation as well as opportunities to achieve energy
savings through occupant behavior, (2) increase the number of property owners who install solar
electric and solar thermal systems, (3) significantly improve the outcome and experience of property
owners who install solar systems, (4) increase employment in the renewable energy and efficiency
sectors of the County, and (5) help local governments and communities meet local and State
greenhouse gas reduction targets. In addition, CEA will also support the Solar Sonoma County goal to
install 25 megawatts of new solar generation by 2011.
Recommendation: Support and promote the new countywide Clean Energy Advocate program and
assist in identification of program candidates.
The CEA program objectives are:
o Educate individual property owners and answer questions from proiect start to finish.
• Help property owners understand prolect scope and loadin~ order choices to maximize project
results.
• Help property owners obtain a financin~ packa~e that provides optimal cost-effectiveness.
0 Help property owners coordinate with market vendors.
• Support vendor accreditation/certification.
e Support collection of pre- and post-project ener~y use data to track iob performance and GHG
reductions.
89 Interstate Energy Renewable Council press release on the City of Santa Rosa's Clean Energy Advocate Program:
http:Uirecusa.or~/2009/11/solar-a merica-citv-sa nta-rosas-dean-ener~y-advocate/
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0 Educate the public on efficiency/solar retrofittin~.
• Collaborate with the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program and the Countywide
Retrofit/Renewables Pro~ram to align market transformation efforts and leverage existing resources
for property owner benefit.
Benefits: The CEA program is designed to provide the foliowing benefits to property owners and the
community:
m Promote hi~h levels of clean energy retrofit participation: By providing non-commercial education
about the solar and efficiency retrofit process, the CEA will streamline the property owner education
process, support identification of property owner project goals, and reduce the education
investment required of market place vendors. In addition, the CEA will support and align with the
community education efforts of the Countywide Retrofit/.Renewables Program.
o The CEA program will be implemented countywide: The CEA model will serve all 10 jurisdictions
within the county and support consistent community education.
s Streamlined pro~ram that provides solutions to practical problems: The CEA program will be
designed considering stakeholder input to ensure it provides the right mixture of education and
practical problem solving assistance to support successful projects.
• Online prolect analysis and tracking tools for CEA participants: In collaboration with the
local/regional GIS project mapping project, the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, and
the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program's development of a centralized web portal, the CEA
will contribute online resources for tracking project progress and GHG reduction results.
• Support climate protection ~oals for local government ~eneral plans: The CEA program will support
long-term GHG reduction strategies for local government by supporting the integration of energy
and water efficiency with solar electric and solar thermal technologies to demonstrate the deep
energy reduction potential of the efficiency/solar model.
Resources: The CEA will work in partnership with Solar Sonoma County, the Sonoma County Energy
Indeperidence Program, and the Countywide Retrofit/Renewables Program to increase the adoption of
deep energy retrofitting in Sonoma County.
Case Studies: Three Solar America Cities have piloted similar programs upon which the CEA was
modeled:
o Solar Now, Portland, Ore~on: The Solar Now program provides a series of property owner classes in
the basics of solar electric and solar thermal systems, community presentations on solar, a
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Solar Sonoma County
contractor referral service, solar home tours, community event outreach, and an monthly e-
newsletter for property owners.90
MadiSUN Solar A~ent, Madison, Wisconsin: The MadiSUN Solar Agent program provides commercial
property owners with bundled packages of solar financing rebates and incentives and a free solar
consultation service that helps property owners evaluate solar technology, architectural options,
explain permit and zoning issues and how to deal with them, assist with obtaining project quotes,
provide a list of local installers, assist with applying for solar funding, and provide assistance during
the installer hiring process.91
• SmartSolar, Berkeley, California: Launched in April 2009, the SmartSolar program provides free solar
energy consulting services from the City of Berkeley and its partner the Community Energy Services
Corporation.92 The program helps property owners understand and adopt energy efficiency and
solar technologies through education on available technologies and assistance with project
planning, cost assessment, and financing. The program uses the Berkeley Solar Map to assist with
solar capacity assessments.93
6 - Clearinghouse for Request-for-Bids
Market Barrier: Public agencies and private projects lack a single, convenient, easily accessible central
location for posting solar and energy efficiency project opportunities in Sonoma County, forcing vendors
to proactively use various information sources (e.g., Web, newspaper, trade magazines, phone calls) at
multiple locations to find this information.
Recommendation: Establish a central Web-based clearinghouse to list requests for proposals (RFPs) and
construction bidding opportunities for solar electric, solar thermal, and energy efficiency projects in
Sonoma County.
Benefits: A central location for listing solar and efficiency and solar RFPs has several benefits, including;
Convenient access to information: Vendors will be able to rapidly and easily check for new projects
that they can consider bidding on.
• Proiects will be presented to a range of vendors: Project developers and local governments will be
able to present their projects to a large and diverse audience of potential contractors, helping match
projects to the appropriate vendor.
• Easv and timelv identification of proiects: Both vendors and project promoters will be able to
expedite the solicitation and response time for new projects.
90 Solar Now workshops: http://www.solaroregon.or~/workshops
91 City of Madison, Wisconsin; MadiSUN Solar Agent Program,
http://www.citVOfmadison.com/Sustainability/Citv/MadiSUNJbusinesses.cfm
92 City of Berkeley SmartSolar Program, http://www.citvofberkeley.infoLContentPrint.aspx?id=38066
93 City of E3erkeley Solar Map: http://berkelev.solarmap.or~/solarmap v4.html
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o Open competition: Presenting projects to a large audience will help ensure equitable 6usiness
opportunities for local vendors as well as optimum pricing and best value .
Resources: The Web now provides an appropriate platform to host an easy access to solar and energy
efficiency project opportunities and links to detailed information about projects.
Background/Case Studies: A similar service is offered by the North Coast Builders Exchange (NCBE),
which is a member-operated, not-for-profit association serving the construction industry primarily in
Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties. The NCBE provides members with detailed information on
construction projects throughout the North Coast area for which full plans and specs are in NCBE plan
rooms, as well as listings of bid results, building permits, projects in the pipeline, legal notices, and the
ability to search for items within these categories on the Web.
However, this service includes a wide range of project types in addition to solar and energy efficiency
projects, is based at the NCBE office location, and NCBE membership is required to access the
information collected.
The NCBE has been in existence for over 50 years and is well known to local governments and project
developers. When a public works department issues bid documents, copies are sent to the NCBE as a
matter of course. There is no charge for listing a project. Project documents submitted in paper form are
scanned by NCBE for Web-site retrieval by their members. Two full-time staff maintains this service,
ensuring the information is timely and updated as necessary.
Constraints: The establishment of a central web-based clearinghouse for solar and energy efficiency
projects will require a host organization and staffing to keep the information organized and updated. A
single, impartial site that is widely advertised will provide the best results. Likely host organizations are
the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority or Solar Sonoma County.
Tasks: Identify a host organization and ongoing funding for web-site operation. The mission and non-
profit, independent status of Solar Sonoma County makes it a good choice for a possible host and
operator. The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) would be an ideal agency to
coordinate this project. Subtasks include: Identifying host organization and Web page format/functions,
communicate RFP posting opportunities to local governments and public agencies, coordinate outreach
or advertising campaign to invite participation by private companies and property owners, and maintain
RFP Web presence to upload new projects and removed expired projects.
Such a centralized Web-base clearinghouse could be built on a contact management system that would
allow each participating public entity or business to pay a small fee for the right to upload it RFP
documents on a per-upload basis providing an affordable option to the current newspaper
advertisement system.
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Appendices
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Appendix 1: Solar Implementation Plan History
The Solar implementation Plan (SIP) is designed to help local governments contribute to Solar Sonoma
County's goal of installing 25 megawatts of new solar capacity by 2011 and maximize adoption of solar
and efficiency through government leadership and marketplace transformation. The SIP was proposed
under the U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities grant to identify opportunities for
collaboration and partnership both among governments and with the private sector to develop regional
programs for policies/regulations, financing/incentives, education, and market transformation that
make the best use of government and private sector resources, prevent duplication of effort, invite
participation from more community stakeholders, and standardize implementation processes (e.g.,
permitfing, inspection) to support wide spread adoption of solar and efficiency upgrades.
The SIP development process included:
• Research: Research included project ideas in development by other Solar America Cities and
research and interviews with all ten local governments to identify successful program models,
current barriers to solar adoption, and possible solutions to address these barriers.
• Solar Sonoma County Stakeholder/Membership Recommendations: Proposed
recommendations were collected from SSC's Working Group and Policy-Finance-Incentive, Solar
Vendor, and Energy Efficiency committees.
0 Recommendation Selection: More than 50 recommendations were compiled through the above
research and input process. The SSC staff and advisors consolidated the list to the top 24
recommendations. These recommendations were submitted to the SSC Working Group, Board
of Directors, and Advisory Board through a survey voting process that allowed the membership
to assist with the final prioritization. The recommendations not highlighted in this report are
provided in Appendix 2 and remain a source of additional opportunities for market
transformation initiatives.
• Final SIP Preparation: The top six recommendations were augmented with additional research
and consultation with local experts to provide a useful profile of each recommendation
including the market barrier it is designed to remove, benefits, local resources, case studies,
constraints, and tasks.
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Resolution No. 2010-120 N.C.S. Page 48
Appemdix 2: Additional SIP Recommendations
The following recommendations were generated during the stakeholder input phase and development
of the Solar Implementation Plan, and represent additional opportunities for local government to
support market transformation for clean energy adoption. The proposed recommendations below are
listed in order of their popularity with the SSC stakeholders and membership as documented by the SIP
voting process:
ENERGY/SOLAR ANALYSIS TOOL LENDING LIBRARY: Working as a coalition, local governments could
establish a library of energy analysis tools, similar to the PG&E tool library, to provide local efficiency
and solar start-ups with the ability to rent the equipment on an as needed basis until they are achieving
a client volume that support purchasing their own equipment. This might be part of the Countywide
Retrofit/Renewables Program.
CLEAN ENERGY GRID: Local governments could implement options for increasing the clean energy
profile of the local grid including utility-scale solar development such as is recommended in Santa Rosa
Green Building Advisory Committee report and Sonoma County Community Climate Action Plan
(Community Choice Aggregation) through an existing regional entity such as the SCTA Regional Climate
Protection Authority.
SURROGATE ROOF SOLAR GENERATION PROGRAM: Local governments could establish "Surrogate Roof"
program modeled after the City of Sacramento (a Solar America City) in partnership with the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, where solar electric systems installed on large municipal roofs can
carry extra capacity, the extra energy is sold to the energy market, and credit goes to City residents and
businesses. This option would require a local municipal utility district or community choice aggregation
body.
LEVERAGE AMERICAN RECOVERY/REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA) FUNDS FOR CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS:
Use federal/state grants (e.g., ARRA, EECBP, State Energy Program) to provide financial incentives such
as (1) increasing property owner rebates for solar and efficiency; (2) creating a local Sonoma County
Energy Independence Program interest rate buy-down program; OR (3) participating in a mortgage buy-
down program, such as the 14X program, which offers reduced mortgage interest rates contingent upon
renovating or building to meet specific energy reduction targets. For existing homes, mortgage interest
rates would be lowered by 1 percent if, with a minimum homeowner investment in efficiency upgrades
and/or renewable energy systems (which is added into the new mortgage), the home is renovated to
meet a minimum HERS 70 (or equivalent rating). For new homes, interest rates would be lowered by %
percent for achieving a HERS 70 rating and 1 percent for achieving a HERS 50 rating.
CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY BONDS - SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS: School and hospital
districts could work with local NGOs (e.g., Solar Sonoma County) to apply for California Renewable
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Solar Sonoma County
Energy Bond financing to promoted the installation of solar systems on school campuses and hospital
facilities.94
MUNICIPAL ENERGY FUND TO BANK COST SAVINGS: Local governments could explore establishing an
"energy fund" financial model that collects the energy savings garnered from improvements to
municipal operations and uses the funds for continued municipal efficiency projects.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENERGY POLICY: Local governments could collaborate with affordable housing
organizations, the Sonoma County Housing Coalition, and other NGOs on developing a policy/program
to integrate solar/efficiency features into the design for new affordable housing to lower energy costs
for low-income households.
NEW CONSTRUCTION SOLAR POLICY: Local governments could require pre-plumbing and pre-wiring for
solar thermal and solar electric for new building and development; For example, Cotati requires pre-
plumbing for solar instal-ations and has tree-trimming policies to preserve access to solar exposure in
new construction building codes.95
NATURAL GAS REDUCTION POLICY: Local governments could implement policies and programs to
encourage offsetting natural gas use with solar for heating and thermal for both municipal and private
properties.
SOLARIZED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SYSTEM: Local governments could establish solar-powered
emergency preparedness support by installing solar electric systems on key energy points to maintain
communications and services during emergency (e.g., City of New York solar emergency preparedness
model). This idea could also be expanded to establish a cutoff switch program to solarized well pump
operation during natural disasters for both m~.~nicipal and private wells.
MUNICIPAL SOLAR ANALYSIS SOFTWARE: Local governments could collaborate with NGOs and industry
professionals on developing a financial analysis software tool that will allow government staff to enter
basic data on a proposed solar/efficiency project (some of which may be supplied by skilled
subcontractors such as solar vendors or energy analysts) and generate apples-to-apples profiles of
proposed municipal projects for internal decision making before going out to bid.
CLEAN ENERGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM: Local governments could establish a countywide incentive
prograrri (e.g., a Clean Energy Award Program) for all county property owners where a demonstrated
energy use decrease would make them eligible for a rebate on the permitting and inspection fees
incurred during their project.
94 In 2009, 44 projects in Sonoma County received 2009 CREBs allocations totaling $38 million. As of March 2010, the RCPA is
exploring the benefits of forming a bond pool structure for Sonoma County CREBS issuers to potentially minimize the
transaction costs of individual bond issues, secure a competitive interest rate, reduce local government/public agency staff time
expenses, and provide assistance with project design, economics and implementation to maximize the benefits of these solar
and efficiency projects. Internal Revenue Service 2009 CREBs Allocation Schedule: http:/(www.irs.aovJpub/irs-tege/ncrebs
95See California Energy Commission's New Solar Homes Partnership: http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/nshp/index.html
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POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT CRITERIA: Local governments could define and set criteria for Power
Purchase Agreement projects that would facilitate the selection of properties where the solar
installation will not exceed the building's realistic useful life.
CLEAN ENERGY LEASING POLICY: Local governments could participate in setting regiona) municipal
standards for leasing property that include solar and efficiency upgrade requirements.
CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY BONDS - PROJECT EVALUATIONS: Local governments could work with
relevant NGOs to create a low-cost solar evaluation program for municipal buildings that would provide
a solar analysis of a target property before applying for CREBS to ensure proposal focuses on the best
opportunities.
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