Mike Johnston, NECA Executive Director, Standards and Safety, highlights why he feels NECA contractors are great partners for any of the 22 local organizations participating in the recently announced U.S. Department of Energy’s Rooftop Solar Challenge.
The U.S. Dept. of Energy will fund $12 million in awards for the new Rooftop Solar Challenge as part of DOE’s SunShot Initiative. The Challenge supports 22 regional teams to spur solar power deployment by cutting red tape — streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes — and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems.
“While the program will help reduce the costs homeowners and businesses pay to install solar energy systems, it’s important to remember that rooftop PV panel installations must be safe. The government expects this, as does the public. These types of installations should only be done by qualified electrical contractors, a requirement in the National Electrical Code. Improving accessibility to financing and permitting is commendable, but protecting a homeowner’s property should be paramount,” said Johnston. Read more about the Rooftop Solar Challenge on NECA’s website >>