May 27, 2021
Lake County Designated “SolSmart Gold” for Advancing Solar Energy Growth
Lake County recently earned the highly coveted Gold designation from the national SolSmart program for implementing process improvements that make it faster and easier for homes and businesses in unincorporated Lake County to transition to solar energy.
This designation recognizes Lake County for taking key steps to reduce barriers to solar energy growth and simplify the process for the community to install solar systems. For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Gold designation is a signal that Lake County is 'open for solar business.'
"We are proud to achieve the SolSmart Gold designation and are committed to supporting solar energy development throughout the community," said Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart. "In recent years, we've seen more interest in solar energy from many of our residents, businesses, and local governments, and we are excited that it's becoming a more affordable option here in Lake County."
In 2019, Lake County began to update local regulations to reflect current trends and improvements in solar technology. The Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department, in partnership with 18 local municipalities and with technical support from solar industry experts, convened a regional Solar Energy Task Force to develop a model ordinance for communities to use in adopting state-of-the-art solar zoning codes. A new solar energy ordinance was subsequently adopted by Lake County and has led to the following improvements to expedite solar power installations in the unincorporated areas:
- Certain solar permit applications can be reviewed in one visit to the Lake County Central Permit Facility in Libertyville.
- Residents can refer to this online checklist to help ensure their application is complete and that it meets Lake County’s requirements for residential solar permits. Once a complete submittal is received by Lake County, residents will receive either their permit, or a request for additional information within three business days.
"Solar permitting used to be a lot more complicated”, said Terry Wilke, Lake County Energy and Environment Committee Chair. "I would like to thank staff for all their work to streamline the solar permit application process. Residents that have questions about the permitting process are always welcome to contact Lake County staff for help."
Those who reside in city or village limits that are interested in solar permitting should reach out to their municipality. Those who reside in unincorporated Lake County can learn more by visiting our Solar Energy web page.
As part of the SolSmart program, a team of national experts provides no-cost technical assistance to help communities achieve designation. All municipalities, counties, and regional organizations are eligible to join the SolSmart program and receive this technical assistance.
SolSmart is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. Interested communities can learn more at SolSmart.org.
 Pictured: Robert Jannusch and Ieva Donev from Lake County Planning, Building, and Development inspecting a solar field.
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