City governments are both regulatory entities and large end users of energy. They have the opportunity to help overcome barriers to sustainable solar markets in their urban communities. The selected Solar America Cities have teamed up with municipal, county, and state agencies, non-profit organizations, universities, utilities, developers, and solar companies to accelerate the adoption of solar energy. The experience and lessons learned from these cities will enable others to follow in their footsteps.

The cities selected in 2007 received a combined $2.5 million in DOE funding in addition to substantial hands-on technical assistance. The partnerships’ plans include:

• Integration of solar energy technologies into city energy planning, including the development of solar plans, and emergency preparedness plans
• Significant use of solar energy to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets and climate change goals
• Removal of market barriers to solar energy development that exist in urban planning charters, zoning regulations, building codes, permitting, and inspections
• Promotion of solar technology among residents and local businesses through outreach, curriculum development, incentive programs, and other innovative approaches.

Solar America Cities is a key component of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), which is a part of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative. The goal of the SAI is to make electricity from photovoltaics (PV) cost-competitive with conventional utility grid electricity (e.g., from coal and natural gas) by 2015.

On June 20, 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy named the following 13 cities as Solar America Cities:

Ann Arbor, MI
Austin, TX
Berkeley, CA
Boston, MA
Madison, WI
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, OR
Salt Lake City, UT
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Tucson, AZ

2008 Awardees

On March 28, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy named the following 12 cities as Solar America Cities:

Denver, CO
Houston, TX
Knoxville, TN
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Orlando, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Sacramento, CA
San Antonio, TX
San Jose, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Seattle, WA

Fact Sheets

The Solar America Cities Awards (PDF 1.28MB) (Download Acrobat Reader)

2008 Solar America Cities Selections (PDF 737KB) (Download Acrobat Reader)

In 2005 IBM Tivoli installed a 20 kW solar system

Credit: John Messerschmidt, DUCE Construction
7.2 kilowatt PV system on the roof of The Point Community Development Corporation’s building in the Bronx.

Credit: Adam Friedberg
Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue Terminal’s low-cost, thin-film photovoltaic panels (210kW) were combined with clear glass in custom glazing units to provide the right balance among shelter, daylighting, and electricity generation.