From 51 systems to 12,000: How Northern Virginia became a solar-ready region
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) has earned the nation’s first regional organization SolSmart Platinum designation—recognizing it as a leader in building solar-ready communities and streamlining local solar permitting.
This milestone marks NVRC as both the first community in the South and the first regional organization in the U.S. to achieve Platinum status from the SolSmart program, which evaluates communities on their solar access efforts, permitting processes, and clean energy education. The program is led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and International City/County Management Association (ICMA), with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO).
“We are proud to work with our local government partners and others to assist our communities reach their climate and sustainability goals,” said NVRC Chair John T. Chapman of the City of Alexandria.
Regional Coordination Drives Solar Growth
NVRC has spent the last decade building local capacity for solar adoption. In 2014, it launched Solarize NoVA, a regional group-purchase and education initiative that has led to over 1,000 contracts, $27 million in private investment, and 9.4 megawatts (MW) of residential solar installed.
The commission has also developed the first regional solar map in Virginia, offering homeowners and businesses tools to assess rooftop solar potential, energy savings, and emissions reductions. It has hosted webinars and provided zoning, inspection, and permitting resources to help localities become more solar-ready.
These efforts earned NVRC SolSmart Gold designation in 2019. Continued improvements and regional collaboration helped it reach the top-tier Platinum designation in 2024.
Local Solar Leadership with Statewide Impact
“The Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s achievement of the Platinum SolSmart designation is a powerful testament to the region’s leadership in solar readiness,” said Vince Maiden, Director of the Virginia State Energy Office. “This recognition reflects the hard work of NVRC and its member localities in removing barriers to solar energy adoption and accelerating Virginia’s all-of-the-above plan for a reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy future.”
Solar adoption in Northern Virginia has grown significantly: from just 51 installations in 2009 (totaling 208 kW) to more than 12,000 systems by the end of 2023, with a combined capacity of 115 megawatts.
“We are excited to award NVRC the SolSmart program’s highest tier of designation,” said Toyah Callahan, Vice President of Local Initiatives at IREC. “As the nation’s first regional organization to receive SolSmart Platinum designation, NVRC is setting the bar.”
More Communities Can Follow
SolSmart has designated more than 550 communities in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Local governments and regional commissions interested in free technical assistance can visit solsmart.org to learn more about how to improve their solar permitting, zoning, and community engagement practices.
