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Lexington seeks SolSmart gold for rooftop solar; zoning text amendment awaits committee review
Summary
Jada Walker Griggs, program manager senior for sustainability, told the planning commission the city is pursuing SolSmart gold certification for its rooftop-solar policies and permitting and expects to submit a zoning text amendment to committee on July 1.
Jada Walker Griggs, program manager senior for sustainability in Lexington’s Division of Environmental Services, told the planning commission on May 29 that the city is pursuing SolSmart certification — a Department of Energy-supported recognition for local solar best practices — and is aiming for gold-level recognition once a zoning ordinance text amendment is finalized.
Griggs said SolSmart measures local government practices across categories including permitting and inspection, planning and zoning, government operations, market development and community engagement. She said Lexington has completed most of the required measures and that staff are preparing an online “all things solar” resource page and a residential permitting checklist. Griggs told the commission the goal is to guarantee residential rooftop solar permitting can be completed in three days and that commercial permitting currently has a 10-day target.
She said technical assistance from SolSmart is free and that the city has accumulated more than 300 points across SolSmart categories; the city is pursuing gold and not platinum because one platinum requirement is an almost-instant permitting turnaround that city staff said would need at least one business day. Griggs said finalizing the zoning ordinance text amendment (ZODA) now scheduled for committee on July 1 is the next step before the technical assistance team reviews Lexington’s materials for certification.
Commissioners asked about funding and commercial interest. Griggs said there is no cost for the city to participate and that the SolSmart technical-assistance program is currently funded through outside sources from the Department of Energy; she said she had not seen evidence that current federal changes would immediately interrupt the assistance. On commercial uptake, Griggs said SolSmart primarily documents and streamlines government processes to benefit rooftop-solar adoption rather than directly certifying businesses.
Griggs said she will continue to coordinate with the planning department and other city divisions; she also noted she will present to the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee on Dec. 10.
Ending
Griggs said staff will launch the city solar web page and the residential permitting checklist once the zoning text amendment is codified, then request SolSmart’s final review. No formal vote took place during the SolSmart update.
