Longmont’s encouragement of solar energy has reached a “golden” age. The city’s efforts have earned it a SolSmart Gold designation, which will be recognized at the Nov. 16 City Council meeting.

SolSmart communities are recognized for their work in streamlining the solar process and reducing the soft costs of installing a solar energy system, such as permitting, financing and other non-hardware expenses. To earn Gold, a city must have already earned Bronze and Silver designations, have a streamlined three-day solar permit review and approval process, and make it clear in the zoning ordinances that accessory use solar PV is allowed in all major zones. Points toward the designation are also scored for the ease of accessing solar-related information on the City website.

“SolSmart awards are all about the customer – how easily can they plug into solar energy if they decide to do so?” said executive director Dave Hornbacher of Longmont Power & Communications (LPC). “We’re glad to give our community a simple, friendly way to pursue renewable energy, and we’re honored to have those efforts recognized.”

Longmont became a SolSmart Bronze community in 2017 and received its Silver designation in 2020.

LPC has about 525 solar customers, most of them residential. As an owner-member of Platte River Power Authority, the community-owned utility also draws nearly half of its own power from renewable sources, including the 30 megawatt Rawhide Flats Solar and the 22 megawatt Rawhide Prairie Solar sites.

Hornbacher also thanked Blas Hernandez and Ozzy Tarin of Building Services for their roles in helping Longmont achieve the honor.

The City Council meeting will begin at 7 pm at the Longmont Civic Center, 350 Kimbark St.

The SolSmart program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative and was launched in April 2016 to indicate communities that are “open for solar business.”