Solar Energy and SolSmart
The City of Hailey recognizes solar energy as an important renewable energy opportunity for its citizens and our community. The development of solar production and energy storage:
- Has a low environmental impact
- Creates secure, viable jobs that strengthen our local economy
- Decreases our reliance on fossil-fuel energy sources, leading to healthier air, water, and ecosystems
- Increases our City's resiliency, providing a buffer against cost-spikes and energy availability of other energy sources
- Provides families and households with cost-savings over time
Solar energy development is a key step for achieving the goals of Hailey's Clean Energy Resolution. Learn more here!
The City of Hailey: A SolSmart Silver Community
In 2022, the City of Hailey (as well as the City of Ketchum and Blaine County), was designated a Silver-level community by SolSmart for its efforts in promoting solar energy development.
What is SolSmart?
SolSmart is a cost-free, national certification and technical assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office.
How does SolSmart operate?
The SolSmart Program works with local governments to accelerate the development of local solar markets, while reducing municipal costs for permitting and promoting solar programs. They provide technical assistance for policy and code review, recommend strategic updates and action steps that can support solar energy development, and provide industry-recognized certifications and training resources.
What is SolSmart's impact?
Without SolSmart, many of the administrative/business process costs associated with creating or developing solar projects are ultimately passed on to consumers. The SolSmart program ensures that both local governments and the people they serve can have the benefits of solar energy without unnecessary costs. Additionally, local solar provider companies see more transparent and standardized processes, reduced administrative costs, and a better customer experience as a result of SolSmart's work. All of these factors help strengthen the resiliency of local communities and their energy systems.
Achieving SolSmart Silver Designation
The City of Hailey earned its Silver-Level designation from SolSmart by completing the following action steps:
Program Participation Commitment
Conduct Solar Permitting and Inspection Updates
- City Staff created an online checklist, explaining the required permits, submittals, action steps that must be taken to install small scale solar systems.
- City Staff complete training on best practices for permitting and inspecting solar PV and solar storage systems.
Conduct Planning and Zoning Review within the City's Municipal Code
- SolSmart representatives reviewed Hailey's Municipal Code for solar zoning/building standards, policies, and areas of the Code lacking proper information and/or clarity about solar energy development in the City of Hailey. SolSmart also provided a list of recommended action steps to amend the identified barriers in our Municipal Code.
- City Staff drafted a series of Text Amendments addressing these barriers, in the hopes of promoting more robust solar development in the future.
- Changes to the Code included allowing ground-mounted solar in all zoning districts, except for the Recreational Green Belt, amending maximum height requirements for ground and roof-mounted solar, adding/clarifying definitions for certain solar system configurations, and creating a new chapter of the Municipal Code, entitled "Solar", which outlines general provisions and standards concerning the development of solar resources.