The Village of Hanover Park received a Bronze level designation from the national SolSmart program at a recognition event at the Argonne National Laboratory on February 2nd. The Village of Hanover Park was recognized for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.
This designation recognizes the Village of Hanover Park for taking bold steps to encourage solar energy growth and remove obstacles to solar development. For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Bronze level designation is a signal that the Village of Hanover Park is "open for solar business."
The Village of Hanover Park was part of the largest group of communities to move through the SolSmart program together. In partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, 15 local governments from around the Chicago region worked collaboratively to make changes to their local processes that reduce the time and money it takes to install a solar energy system. This includes evaluating local permitting processes, as well as planning and zoning procedures. SolSmart designees also develop innovations in areas such as market development and finance.
Mayor Rodney Craig praised the caucus and spearheaded Hanover Park's solar initiative. "Hanover Park continues to move forward in encouraging the use of solar and many thanks to the Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus for partnering with us on this initiative."
All municipal participants are signatories to the Greenest Region Compact 2, which was created by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and its membership to guide and unify regional sustainability efforts. In addition to renewable energy, the Compact also expands opportunities for municipal leaders to take action in the areas of climate, economic development, energy efficiency, land use, leadership, mobility, greener municipal operations, sustainable communities, waste and water.
As a SolSmart designee, the Village of Hanover Park is helping solar companies greatly reduce the cost of installations and pass those savings on to consumers. This allows even more local homes and businesses to obtain affordable, clean, and reliable electricity through solar. The actions taken will help encourage solar companies to do business in the area, driving economic development and creating local jobs.
SolSmart uses objective criteria to award communities points based on the actions they take to reduce barriers to solar energy development. Communities that take sufficient action are designated either gold, silver, or bronze.
SolSmart is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. More than 150 cities, counties, and small towns have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is a membership organization of the Chicago region's 275 cities, towns and villages that fosters collaboration towards a common goal of improving the quality of life for the millions of people who call the region home.