About Solar Roadmap
The Solar Roadmap is America’s go-to resource for unbiased solar information and tools for residents, businesses, government staff, electric utilities, and solar industry. Through customized profile pages and interactive policy roadmaps, this innovative platform is helping communities and electric utilities across the country to capture economic and environmental benefits from clean energy deployment by making it easier, faster, and more affordable to “go solar.”
Residents & Businesses
Residents and businesses can access free resources and tools to understand their solar potential, choose a qualified solar contractor, and evaluate solar proposals. Community profile pages provide access to up-to-date information on incentives and financing programs available locally so consumers can make informed decisions.
Government Officials
Municipal agencies of all sizes can leverage the Solar Roadmap platform to effectively improve local solar processes and publicize achievements, all with minimal time commitment. Customized community profile pages provide constituents with additional resources and support. Interact and network with peer communities to share successful policies and even facilitate solar bulk purchase programs.
Electric Utilities
Electric utilities can leverage the Solar Roadmap platform to evaluate successful approaches to solar interconnection and customer programs to make informed decisions for their rate payers. Customized utility profile pages publicize achievements and provide customers and installers with relevant information and resources.
Industry Professionals
Solar installers and industry experts can keep up-to-date on regional market development activities and new business models, as well as incentive and financing programs available locally. Installers can access solar-related trainings, guidebooks, and other new resources to improve customer acquisition efforts through effective outreach and engagement activities.
My Roadmap
The Solar Roadmap is a customized, interactive tool containing guidance on how to transform your local solar market. The guidance comes in the form of simple steps targeted to various community activities: permitting and inspection, planning and zoning, finance, and outreach. The goal is to highlight simple actions that can be taken to develop a more solar friendly community.
Interested in what a Roadmap looks like? Click here for a sample.
By completing the survey form below, you can unlock a Roadmap specific to your community. The Roadmap will provide a quantitative analysis of how you compare to neighboring communities and others across the country, identify what you’re doing well, and identify areas for improvement highlighting the highest impact changes you can make to help drive more local solar market activity.
For each action item, the Roadmap will provide you with resources and support to make taking action easy.
The survey form is available here: My Roadmap Survey
Once you have completed the survey, email the form to our team and we will do the rest!
American Solar Transformation Initiative
The American Solar Transformation Initiative (ASTI) represents a nationwide team of hundreds of public and private partners committed to advancing solar power adoption in participating municipalities and utilities throughout the United States. The focus of this program is to drive solar market maturity via significant improvements in 6 key focus areas:
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The ASTI program is committed to real change at the ground level. By driving transformation in market conditions for rooftop solar in jurisdictions across the United States, ASTI will make adopting solar easier, faster, and more affordable. An improved solar business environment with lower administrative costs enables participating jurisdictions to capture the full economic and environmental benefits of solar power in their communities by helping their local markets grow.
ASTI is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Rooftop Solar Challenge and has received funding to help reduce transaction, administrative and construction costs related to residential and small commercial solar projects. The Rooftop Solar Challenge is part of the DOE SunShot Initiative, which seeks to make solar electricity cost competitive without subsidies by the end of the decade.
ASTI was created by Optony, based on a successful project launched in 2012 called the Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative (SSTI). SSTI efforts focused on developing roadmaps for local jurisdictions, providing a centralized online technical resource center, and engaging with staff at participating agencies to provide technical assistance for all their solar programs and process improvements. The SSTI team was directly engaged with over 70 participating organizations across the Southwestern states of California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.
As a national program, each ASTI partner receives a customized, interactive Solar Roadmap, which they leverage to achieve success in each of the key focus areas to help unlock their full solar potential. The ASTI approach and outcomes include the following:
- Evaluate and Report Solar Potential. Quantify and document the solar potential across residential rooftops in each region and quantify the benefit in terms of economic activity, jobs and environmental impact.
- Assess Current Solar Processes. Document the existing processes, rules, and regulations regarding solar development in order to identify all major market transformation hurdles and establish a baseline for each jurisdiction.
- Create Customized Roadmaps. Develop local and regional roadmaps for streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning and interconnection processes in collaboration with all stakeholders, and provide guidance on applicable solar project financial and economic models for residential and commercial property owners.
- Provide Comprehensive Resource Library. Deploy a market-leading platform for solar best practices, resources and reports for agency staff at all levels and regional/national stakeholders.
- Support Implementation of Roadmaps. Provide hands-on technical assistance, training, and support to facilitate adoption of programs by local organizations that help capture regional solar opportunities.
- Engage Regional Solar Communities. Provide educational resources and community engagement activities for the solar industry and buyers at a regional level.
Program Manger: Optony Inc
A fact sheet on the ASTI Program and the Solar Roadmap website can be found here.
More information about the DoE Solar Rooftop Challenge can be found here.
Partners and Sponsors
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About Optony
Optony is a global research and consulting firm focused on enabling government and commercial organizations to bridge the gap between solar energy goals and real-world results. Optony’s core services offer a systematic approach to planning, implementing and managing commercial and utility-grade solar power systems, while simultaneously navigating the dramatic and rapid changes in the solar industry—from emerging technologies and system designs to government incentives and private/public financing options. Based in Silicon Valley, Optony was founded in 2007 and has offices in Santa Clara, Washington DC, Denver, and Chicago to serve clients across the USA.
For more information, visit: www.optonyusa.com
Policies
Terms of Use
Solar Roadmap is pleased to have you use its website and wants to ensure a great user experience in all that it provides. These Website Terms of Use apply to this website which is operated by Optony Inc. under the domain name www.solarroadmap.com (each a “Website” and collectively, the “Websites”). By proceeding beyond the homepage you agree to accept these Terms of Use and we agree to grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use this website in accordance with the conditions set out forth below.
We may revise these Terms of Use from time to time without notice and such revision will take effect when it is posted on this Website. Your continued use of this Website will be regarded as your acceptance of these Terms of Use as amended. If you do not agree to be bound by (or cannot comply with) these Terms as modified, you agree that your sole remedy is to cease using the Website.
In addition to the provisions of these Website Terms of Use, there may also be specific and additional terms that apply to certain sections of this Website. Because those specific and additional provisions also apply to your use of those sections, we recommend that you review them wherever they appear. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of these Website Terms of Use and those other specific and additional provisions, the specific and additional provisions will prevail.
Copyright
All materials and information on this Website including without limitation any logo, design, text, graphic and their arrangement (“Content”) are licensed to or owned by Optony. Unless we indicate otherwise you must not copy, distribute, republish, download, display, post or transmit the Content in any form or by any means including but not limited to electronic, mechanical or otherwise without our prior permission or the written permission of the copyright owner. You may access and use the Content and this Website for your own personal use only. Unless expressly permitted otherwise, you must not do anything to alter, modify or add to the Content.
Any comments or materials sent to us through the Website including feedback data, questions, comments and suggestions (collectively “Feedback”), will be deemed to be non-confidential. We have no obligation of any kind with respect to such Feedback and will be free to reproduce, use, disclose, exhibit, display, transform, create derivative works and distribute the Feedback to others without limitation. Further, we will be free to use any ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in such Feedback for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to developing, manufacturing and marketing products and services incorporating such Feedback.
Trade marks
Solar Roadmap and the compass rose logo are the registered trade marks of Optony Inc. Any other trade marks appearing on this Website are the trade marks of the relevant owners. You must not use any trade marks that appear on this Website without the written consent of the trade mark owner.
Links
We may provide links on this Website to the websites of third parties. However, you acknowledge and agree that we have no control over and do not monitor these third party websites. We make no representations about and cannot accept any liability for these websites. A link to a third party website does not mean that we endorse the content of that website. Your access to third party websites may be governed by their own terms of use. You may not create a link to this Website from another website or document without our prior written consent.
Privacy
Solar Roadmap treats personal data with respect and integrity. The Website will not share your information with third parties for their use other than intended by the functions, features and content as described within this website.
User conduct
You are responsible for all of your activity in connection with accessing the Website. Any fraudulent, abusive, or otherwise illegal activity may be grounds for termination of your access to the Website.
If we issue you with a password that permits you to access certain parts of this Website, you are solely responsible for any use of the Website through such access, whether authorized or not.
You must comply with all applicable local, state, national and international laws and regulations that relate to your use of or activities on this Website. We reserve the right to report potentially criminal activity to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold us (and our related bodies corporate, directors, officers, employees, agents and contractors) harmless from any claim, action, demand, loss or damages made or incurred by any third party arising out of or relating to your conduct (including transmitting any defamatory, derogatory or offensive statements or material to any person), your use of the Website, your breach of these Terms of Use, or your breach of any rights of third parties.
Warranties and disclaimers
THE CONTENT AND THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant that this Website or the server that operates it is free from viruses or other corrupted materials or occasional outages or disruption to service which prevent you from accessing this Website or that use of this Website will be compatible with the hardware and software you are using to access it. You assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. We do not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the Content or this Website in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusions may not apply to you.
We reserve the right to make any change to the Content without notice. We may also make improvements or changes in the products or programs described in the Content at any time without notice. For example, changes in circumstances after the date of publication may impact upon the accuracy of the Content.
The Content may contain general information about our products and services. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Content does not:
- constitute an offer or inducement to enter into a legally binding contract,
- form part of the terms and conditions for our products and services.
Your use of this Website including all Content accessed from or through this Website is at your own risk. Before taking or refraining from any action in reliance on the Content or this Website, you must make and rely on your own enquiries in relation to, and in evaluation of, the Content including any information, predictions, opinions and statements contained in this Website.
Limitation of liability
Subject to any responsibilities implied by law and which cannot be excluded, we (including, in this limitation of liability clause, our related bodies corporate, directors, officers, employees, agents and contractors) expressly disclaim all liability to you or any other persons for any losses, damages, liabilities, claims and expenses (including but not limited to legal costs and defense or settlement costs) whatsoever, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising out of or referable to the Content or this Website (or material accessed via this Website), or to access of the Website by you, howsoever caused, whether in contract, tort including negligence, statute or otherwise. In no event will Solar Roadmap or Optony be liable for any special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages of any kind in connection with this agreement, even if we have been informed in advance of the possibility of such damages. To the full extent permitted by law, any liabilities imposed on us, or implied into these Terms of Use, under any law are hereby excluded.
Termination and suspension
We reserve the right, without notice and in our sole and absolute discretion, to discontinue or suspend or terminate any service offered by or through this Website as well as this Website at any time. For example, if your server is involved in any attack on any computer system, either with or without your knowledge or complicity, that server may be blocked or its access to the Website may be shut down or restricted while the problem is being investigated or fixed. All provisions of these Terms of Use which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, disclaimers, indemnities and limitations of liability.
Severability
If any parts of these Terms of Use are deemed unlawful void or for any reason unenforceable then that provision may be severed from these Terms of Use and it will not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.
Waiver
No waiver by us of our rights under these Terms of Use shall be deemed a waiver of any other term or provision and shall be limited to a single waiver limited to the specific circumstances under which such waiver was granted.
Applicable law
These Terms of Use and any disputes arising under or related to these Terms of Use (whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise) will be governed by the laws of the State of California, without reference to its conflicts of law principles. Any legal actions, suits or proceedings arising out of these Terms of Use (whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise) will be brought exclusively in the state courts of California in Santa Clara County or the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose, and you hereby accept and submit to the personal jurisdiction of these California courts with respect to any legal actions, suits or proceedings arising out of these Terms of Use. You also waive to the fullest extent permitted by law any right to a trial by jury in any action, suit or proceeding brought to enforce, defend or interpret any right or remedies under, or arising in connection with or relating to, these Terms of Use.
Date of Publication February 1, 2012