For the City Times

PLOVER – The village of Plover has received a Silver designation from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.

This designation recognizes Plover for “taking steps to encourage solar energy growth and remove local government obstacles to solar development. “ For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Silver designation is a signal that Plover is “open for solar business.”

SolSmart is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. More than 200 cities, counties, and small towns have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016.

“The Village of Plover is honored to receive this designation,” said Plover Village President Tom Davies. “We had a goal to encourage sustainable energy practices for our residents and businesses, and with this Silver designation, we achieved that goal.”

To receive designation, cities and counties make changes to their local processes to reduce the time and money it takes to install a solar energy system. This includes evaluating local permitting processes, as well as planning and zoning procedures. SolSmart designees also develop innovations in areas such as market development and finance.

“The Village amended our zoning code to reduce the red tape required to install solar energy systems,” explained Community Development Manager Ryan Kernosky. “Most of the systems installed are administratively reviewed and approved within three business days.”

To learn more about SolSmart, visit SolSmart.org.