Solar Salt Lake Project

Utah Clean Energy directs the Solar Salt Lake Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through their Solar America Cities (now known as Solar America Communities) program. Utah Clean Energy helped Salt Lake City become one of the first Solar America Cities 13 cities (now 25 total) in the country.

About The Solar Salt Lake Project
The Solar Salt Lake Project is led by a partnership among Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Clean Energy, and other stakeholders (see below) whose goal is to significantly drive the use of solar energy throughout Salt Lake Valley over the next eight years and beyond. With roughly 40% of Utah's 2,500,000 residents living within the boundaries of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, and given the area's excellent solar resources, the Solar Salt Lake Project has the potential to significantly impact the development of solar energy in the state of Utah.

Goal
The Solar Salt Lake Project has recently completed a fully-scoped city and county-level Solar Implementation Plan to facilitate at least 10 megawatts (or an additional 10,000 solar PV systems) of new solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the government, commercial, industrial, and residential sectors by 2015.

Activities

Identify and reduce barriers to solar deployment in Salt Lake City and County;
Implement a comprehensive plan for Salt Lake City and County that establishes a long-term commitment to solar deployment;
Partner with private entities, including land developers, to advance residential solar installations in new housing developments;
Work to adopt innovative financing mechanisms for commercial and residential solar
Create a solar mapping and information website for Salt Lake City

Phase I Partners (2007-2009)

The Salt Lake City Corporation (Project Lead)
Utah Clean Energy (Project Manager)
Salt Lake County
Kennecott Land
Rocky Mountain Power

Phase II Partners (2010-2012)

The Salt Lake City Corporation (Project Lead)
Utah Clean Energy (Project Manager)
Salt Lake County
Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Utah State Energy Program
Kennecott Land
Ballard Spahr, LLC
Interstate Renewable Energy Council

Interested in learning more?

Solar Salt Lake Technical Assistance Projects & Reports

Salt Lake County Solar on Municipal Buildings Feasibility Study (September 2008) - www.gsbsarchitects.com/
Salt Lake County Solar Power Financing Options (September 2008) - Ballard Spahr and Zions Bank Public Finance
Salt Lake City Solar Access Codes and Ordinances Reports, Phase I and Phase II (2008-2009) – Clarion Associates

Solar Salt Lake Media and Success Stories:

Photon Magazine: The Real Deal
Salt Lake City Police HQ goes green (Salt Lake Tribune)
Draper Goes Solar (Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah Law Sparks Solar Development Boom (Solar Today Magazine July/Aug 2010)
Salt Palace Solar Array Paying Off Before its Built (Salt Lake Tribune - 09/10)
Salt Palace to House Largest Solar Development in the Country (KSL Channel 5 - 09/10)
Now starring in Solar Power: Salt Lake County (Salt Lake Tribune 08/10)
Pathways to Success: Solar Development in Utah (Utah Clean Energy 08/10)
State Energy Program Announces Grant for large-scale solar PV (Utah SEP 07/10)
LDS Church Shows off new green meetinghouse (Salt Lake Tribune, 04/10)
Utah Makes the Grade for Solar (Press Release - 01/10)
IREC's Legal Team, Keyes & Fox, Pick 4 States for Interconnection and Net Metering Best Practices for 2009 (IREC News - 12/09)
Solar Salt Lake Phase II Wins Federal Stimulus Funding (Press Release - 10/09)
Interconnection Rulemaking 101: A Conversation with Jason Keyes (IREC News - 09/09)
Salt Lake City Selected to Host Solar America Cities Meeting in 2010 (Press Release - 09/09)
Energy makeover illustrates the potential of 'green jobs' (Salt Lake Tribune - 09/09)
Salt Lake City Receives Grant for Solar Project (KSL News - 08/09)
Enthusiasts: Solar power to become more popular (Salt Lake Tribune - 04/09)
Salt Lake County sees more solar, more savings (Salt Lake Tribune - 12/08)
Utah's greenest office building 'leeds' the way (Salt Lake Tribune - 12/08)
Solar Salt Lake: Scampering Towards 10 MW by 2015 (IREC News - 12/08)
Salt Lake Solar Study (GSBS Architects News - 02/08)
Salt Lake City teams with Salt Lake County, Kennecott Land, and Utah Clean Energy to promote solar energy (Press Release - 08/07)