Developing Solar Friendly Communities

The report identifies non-hardware balance of system costs, which can reach 40% of installed system costs, as a significant barrier to rooftop solar adoption. It recommends the adoption of standardized frameworks such as the Solar ABCs Expedited Permit Process for permitting, the IREC Model Interconnection Procedures for grid connection, and the NNEC design criteria for net metering. The document highlights Colorado as a leader in solar-friendly policies, citing the Fair Permit Act's fee caps and the state's removal of net metering capacity limits for systems up to 120% of annual on-site consumption.

• Non-hardware balance of system costs, which include customer acquisition, permitting, and interconnection, are estimated to account for up to 40% of total installed system costs for residential rooftop PV.
• Rooftop solar permitting and inspection processes specifically can add between $2,000 and $3,000 in costs per residential installation in the U.S.
• The Solar ABCs Expedited Permit Process is recommended as a framework for jurisdictions with little experience, as it provides a short, simple process and standardized electrical diagrams that allow for 'over the counter' or online approval.
• The IREC Model Interconnection Procedures are recommended over other standards like California's Rule 21 or MADRI because they combine the best components of existing standards, use direct language, and offer an expedited review for inverter-based systems smaller than 10 kW.
• Net metering design criteria from the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) are suggested as a starting point, although the report notes these criteria often marginalize the challenges faced by traditional utilities, such as the need for backup storage and transmission services.
• Colorado's Fair Permit Act (HB 1199) limits permitting fees for systems under 2 MW to $500 for residential and $1,000 for commercial applications.
• Colorado has removed its 2 MW net metering cap, allowing all systems sized up to 120% of annual on-site consumption to be eligible for net metering.
• Colorado's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) to produce 30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, with a specific requirement that 3% of retail sales in IOU areas must come from distributed resources.

APA

Morris, J. (2008). Developing Solar Friendly Communities. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-06_DevelopingSolarFriendlyCommunities.pdf

Chicago

Morris, Jesse. Developing Solar Friendly Communities. RMI, 2008. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-06_DevelopingSolarFriendlyCommunities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Morris |first1=Jesse |title=Developing Solar Friendly Communities |publisher=RMI |date=September 2008 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-06_DevelopingSolarFriendlyCommunities.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{morris2008developing, author = {Morris, Jesse}, title = {{Developing Solar Friendly Communities}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2008}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-06_DevelopingSolarFriendlyCommunities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }