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Residents who dream of improving the environment just got a boost from an award designed to help homeowners install solar panels.
Northlake and nine other suburbs of Chicago received gold, silver or bronze designations March 17 from SolSmart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office.
Northlake joins other towns which have previously received the award, such as Oak Park, Skokie and Park Ridge. A complete list can be seen at https://solsmart.org/our-communities/designee-map/. SolSmart gave the awards during a virtual presentation at Argonne National Laboratory.
SolSmart will provide each of the communities with “no-cost technical assistance” to help them attract solar business in the future.
Northlake mayor Jeffrey Sherwin said that his main goal in approaching solar energy was eliminating barriers for residents to install panels in their homes or businesses.
Eliminating red tape to install solar
“It’s going to become a major component for the electrical system going forward,” Sherwin said. “We want to encourage it and foster it, so it’s just a matter of coming up with a streamlined process of permitting, zoning and everything else. Running it through so there’s not a lot of red tape. A lot of times when there’s new technology, it takes a while for the rest of the world to catch up as far as laws, zoning and so forth.”
Previously, Northlake’s building code didn’t have provisions for solar energy, so the village added them and created a process for handling permit applications.
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council have gradually led an expansion of the SolSmart program in Illinois, and the state now has 59 communities that have earned a designation from SolSmart — more than any other state.
According to IREC program director Theresa Perry, Illinois set a record usage of 500 megawatts of solar energy in 2021.
Argonne National Laboratory director Paul Kearns said the organization will continue to work with local governments as they explore solar power, including any communities that are interested in pursuing SolSmart designation.
“Argonne is happy to collaborate with local civic leaders to bring renewable energy technology to nearby suburbs with the help of SolSmart,” Argonne National Laboratory Director Paul Kearns said.
Marcus Fisher, the Central Region Manager for the Solar Energy Industry Association, said that communities such as Waukegan, which has a gold designation, have already reaped the benefit of efforts to promote solar energy.
“Permitting is a crucial component of the solar energy industry for both companies and customers,” Fisher said. “The SolSmart award is a tool to spark the flame for solar development in your community. In my former role as director of legislative and external business for the city of Waukegan for five years, I saw firsthand how receiving a gold SolSmart award created opportunities for economic investments, created jobs for residents and minority contractors.”
Park Ridge: requests for garage solar panels to power electric vehicles
In Park Ridge, which earned bronze distinction from SolSmart in 2019, building official/administrator Steve Steffens has seen a gradual increase in solar usage.
“I can definitely say, yes, we have,” Steffens said.
Steffens noted that companies such as Tesla and Sunrun have grown their presence in the solar energy market, and its growth is beginning to be evident around the city as rooftop solar panels become more common.
Additionally, Steffens is now seeing more permit requests for garage panels to use in charging electric vehicles. Depending on the company and the type of panel, Steffens said some residents own their panels outright and some lease them from the providers.
“What you’re now starting to see is permits being pulled for electric panels in garages so they can have their charging stations for the electric vehicle in the garage,” Steffens said. “That’s something that I’ve seen coming through here that we definitely didn’t see a couple years ago.”
Sherwin has also noticed more solar installations popping up around Northlake.
“We are seeing more and more solar panels appear on roofs in Northlake,” Sherwin said. “I think it’s an idea that’s taking hold. We’re not an affluent community, we’re a working class community, but if people are doing it, it doesn’t really matter what your socioeconomic status is.
“People are buying into the idea that solar energy is a good thing.”
Regardless of how one feels about climate change, Sherwin said, there is a benefit to switching to cleaner energy sources.
“If you can do something cleaner, why not do it? It just makes sense,” Sherwin said. “It’s just like water pollution. If you can find a way to treat your sewage and stuff before you put it back in the river, why not? Why wouldn’t you want to be cleaner?”
A tip about roofing material
Sherwin also added a piece of advice for residents who are considering installing solar panels.
“If I was going to put a solar panel on my roof, at least that portion underneath the solar panel, I’d replace it with metal roofing,” Sherwin said. “Because the solar panels are going to last a lot longer than your asphalt shingles and you don’t want to be having to take them off and replacing them.”
As more people incorporate solar energy, Steffens said, others may take notice and be encouraged to use some degree of solar power as well.
“These things tend to be, as I’ve found over the years, incremental,” Steffens said. “It’s not like this big leap forward, but it does move the needle in the right direction. As that needle moves, the neighbor sees what’s going on and thinks, ‘Hmm, I’d like to do that, too.’”
During this month’s awards, Carol Stream earned gold designation, receiving commendation for its permitting and inspection process, while Mount Prospect also received gold designation and was awarded for its commitment to community engagement about solar energy. Bensenville and Broadview both received silver designations. Northlake received a bronze designation.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune. Residents who dream of improving the environment just got a boost from an award designed to help homeowners install solar panels. Northlake and nine other suburbs of Chicago received gold, silver or bronze designations March 17 from SolSmart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office. Northlake joins other towns which have previously received the award, such as Oak Park, Skokie and Park Ridge. A complete list can be seen at https://solsmart.org/our-communities/designee-map/. SolSmart gave the awards during a virtual presentation at Argonne National Laboratory. SolSmart will provide each of the communities with “no-cost technical assistance” to help them attract solar business in the future. Northlake mayor Jeffrey Sherwin said that his main goal in approaching solar energy was eliminating barriers for residents to install panels in their homes or businesses. Eliminating red tape to install solar “It’s going to become a major component for the electrical system going forward,” Sherwin said. “We want to encourage it and foster it, so it’s just a matter of coming up with a streamlined process of permitting, zoning and everything else. Running it through so there’s not a lot of red tape. A lot of times when there’s new technology, it takes a while for the rest of the world to catch up as far as laws, zoning and so forth.” Previously, Northlake’s building code didn’t have provisions for solar energy, so the village added them and created a process for handling permit applications. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council have gradually led an expansion of the SolSmart program in Illinois, and the state now has 59 communities that have earned a designation from SolSmart — more than any other state. According to IREC program director Theresa Perry, Illinois set a record usage of 500 megawatts of solar energy in 2021. Argonne National Laboratory director Paul Kearns said the organization will continue to work with local governments as they explore solar power, including any communities that are interested in pursuing SolSmart designation. “Argonne is happy to collaborate with local civic leaders to bring renewable energy technology to nearby suburbs with the help of SolSmart,” Argonne National Laboratory Director Paul Kearns said. Marcus Fisher, the Central Region Manager for the Solar Energy Industry Association, said that communities such as Waukegan, which has a gold designation, have already reaped the benefit of efforts to promote solar energy. “Permitting is a crucial component of the solar energy industry for both companies and customers,” Fisher said. “The SolSmart award is a tool to spark the flame for solar development in your community. In my former role as director of legislative and external business for the city of Waukegan for five years, I saw firsthand how receiving a gold SolSmart award created opportunities for economic investments, created jobs for residents and minority contractors.” Park Ridge: requests for garage solar panels to power electric vehicles In Park Ridge, which earned bronze distinction from SolSmart in 2019, building official/administrator Steve Steffens has seen a gradual increase in solar usage. “I can definitely say, yes, we have,” Steffens said. Steffens noted that companies such as Tesla and Sunrun have grown their presence in the solar energy market, and its growth is beginning to be evident around the city as rooftop solar panels become more common. Additionally, Steffens is now seeing more permit requests for garage panels to use in charging electric vehicles. Depending on the company and the type of panel, Steffens said some residents own their panels outright and some lease them from the providers. “What you’re now starting to see is permits being pulled for electric panels in garages so they can have their charging stations for the electric vehicle in the garage,” Steffens said. “That’s something that I’ve seen coming through here that we definitely didn’t see a couple years ago.” Sherwin has also noticed more solar installations popping up around Northlake. “We are seeing more and more solar panels appear on roofs in Northlake,” Sherwin said. “I think it’s an idea that’s taking hold. We’re not an affluent community, we’re a working class community, but if people are doing it, it doesn’t really matter what your socioeconomic status is. “People are buying into the idea that solar energy is a good thing.” Regardless of how one feels about climate change, Sherwin said, there is a benefit to switching to cleaner energy sources. “If you can do something cleaner, why not do it? It just makes sense,” Sherwin said. “It’s just like water pollution. If you can find a way to treat your sewage and stuff before you put it back in the river, why not? Why wouldn’t you want to be cleaner?” A tip about roofing material Sherwin also added a piece of advice for residents who are considering installing solar panels. “If I was going to put a solar panel on my roof, at least that portion underneath the solar panel, I’d replace it with metal roofing,” Sherwin said. “Because the solar panels are going to last a lot longer than your asphalt shingles and you don’t want to be having to take them off and replacing them.” As more people incorporate solar energy, Steffens said, others may take notice and be encouraged to use some degree of solar power as well. “These things tend to be, as I’ve found over the years, incremental,” Steffens said. “It’s not like this big leap forward, but it does move the needle in the right direction. As that needle moves, the neighbor sees what’s going on and thinks, ‘Hmm, I’d like to do that, too.’” During this month’s awards, Carol Stream earned gold designation, receiving commendation for its permitting and inspection process, while Mount Prospect also received gold designation and was awarded for its commitment to community engagement about solar energy. Bensenville and Broadview both received silver designations. Northlake received a bronze designation.