The City of Denver describes how it has become "solar friendly" using the "12 Best Practices of Solar Friendly Communities." The city also has policies to protect its urban forest and preserve its valuable environmental services. Denver is balancing both objectives.

1. Colorado’s First Solar (and TREE!)
Friendly Community
January 8, 2013
Jessica Scott, Sustainability Strategist
Office of Sustainability
Office of Mayor Michael Hancock

2. Denver Designated As Gold Level
Solar Friendly Community (1275 pts)

3. How Did We Do It?

4. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Provide Checklists (200 pts)
• Solar Coordinator (50 pts)
• Website (25 pts)
Step 1
(275/275)

5. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Use Standard Form (50 pts)
• One point of contact (25 pts)
• Authorize electronic
communication (25 pts)
Step 2
(100/275)

6. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Electronic Submittal (150)—
in process, Accela launch
slightly delayed
Step 3
(150/150)

7. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Same-day, electronic, or OTC
permits (100 pts)
Step 4
(150/150)

8. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Cap residential permit fees at
$50 for standard systems
(100 pts)
• P.E. Stamp exemption for
standard systems (50 pts)
Step 5
(150/150)

9. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Accept NABCEP/no local req.
(25 pts)
• Post Inspection Checklist
(25 pts)
• Post Changes to Code
(10 pts)
Step 6
(25/25)
Step 7
(35/50)

10. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• < Two hr lnspection Window
(50 pts)
• One Inspection (75 pts)
• Allow Affidavit (15 pts)
Step 8
(50/75)
Step 9
(90/100)

11. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Work with Fire Officials (50 pts)
• Encourage Community Solar (25
pts)
• Adopt Balanced Written Goals
(25 pts)
Step 10
(100/150)

12. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Employee group discount (50 pts)
• Low-interest solar loan for Denver
Energy Challenge participants that
achieve 15% energy savings (50 pts)
• Educational Solar Events (25 pts)
Step 11
(125/125)

13. Denver’s Score At A Glance
• Denver Regional Solar Map (10 pts)
• Encourage solar development as
stated goal for community (15 pts)
• Running tabulation of solar projects
(50 pts)
Step 12 (75/75)

15. What is Denver Currently Working On?
• In process of launching online permitting (Accela)
• Launching 2nd
round of Solar Group Discount (contact
Jessica if your municipality or company is interested in
participating)
• Solar Friendly (but still Tree Friendly!) Communities

16. Trees and Solar Collectors Working Together
• What is the urban forest?
• Urban forest benefits
• Governance
• Solar conflicts
• Solutions

18. The Urban Forest
• A collection of woody
vegetation within a city or
town
• Impacts every parcel in a
city
• Essential to the well being
of city residents
• Provides individual and
community benefits

19. Urban Forest Benefits
Enhanced Quality of Life
• Promotes physical
health and mental
well being
• Walkablitiy
• Reduced stress
• Reduced hospital
stay length

20. Urban Forest Benefits
Property value
A large healthy tree can increase a property’s value by
1% to 4%

21. Urban Forest Benefits
Environmental Service
• Clean air
• Clean water
• CO2 storage and sequestration

22. Urban Forest Benefits
Urban Heat Island

23. Urban Forest Benefits
Energy Efficiency
• Evergreens buffer cold
winter winds reducing heat
heat loss
• Deciduous trees
planted on the east
and west block summer
sun and reduce cooling needs
but allow for winter heating
• Shading to the south by branch structures negatively affects
winter heating

24. Metro Denver Urban Forest
• 16.4% canopy cover (4.5% in Erie to 37.4% in Cherry Hill Village)
• 9.6 million trees
• 4.8 trees per capita
• Denver canopy cover is 19.7%
• 2.2 million trees
• 3.7 trees per capita
• 182,000 MWh saved through cooling each year ($21.8
million)
• 997 MWH per day during the cooling season

25. Ordinance, Rules & Regulations
• PROW are protected
- belong to the City
• Private property
- no jurisdiction
• Licensing
- insurance required
- no cuts over 4”
- no topping
- license revocation

26. Solar Conflict
• Current
• NREL study – only 20-25% of residential roofs are
suitable for solar*
• Due to shading and roof orientation
• Trees aren't static
* Denholm, P. and Margolis, R.M. 2008. Supply Curves for Rooftop Solar PV-Generated Electricity
for the United States. NREL/TP-6A0-44073, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden,
CO, USA.

27. Solar Conflict
• Future
• Trees are dynamic
• Lack of knowledge:
• Growth rate
• Size
• Shape
• Height control techniques (solar friendly pruning)

28. What Is A Relevant Conflict?

29. What Is A Relevant Conflict?

30. What Is A Relevant Conflict?

31. Trees As Solar Conflicts
• Tree Shade Instead of Adequate Insulation
• Millions of $ in savings in every city on earth
• Infrastructure Placement Paradigm

33. Solution Sets
• Current
• Solar-friendly Arborists
• Solar Gardens
• Future
• Solar-safe Zones
• Site Planning
• Neighborhood Planning
• Regional Planning

34. Current Solutions
• International Society of Arborists (ISA) –Certified work
• Solar-friendly Analysis, Plant Care and Selection
• Cost, repeat visits amortize into total cost of array
• The urban forest is a managed landscape

35. Future Solutions
• The following can be voluntary, covenant, agreement,
ordinance, recommendation.
• Solutions change across scales.
• Trees can’t be pruned like a hedge, so species selection
is important.
• Solar Safe Zone or Solar Access Zone is fundamental unit
of outcome (parcel scale, neighborhood scale, regional
scale, city scale).

36. Parcel Scale Solutions
• Solar Access Zones with species selection by location.

37. Parcel Scale Solutions
• Solar Access Zones with species selection by location.

38. Street Scale Solution
• Street Tree Species Selection by Defined Side of Street
• Covenant, Ordinance

39. Street Scale Solution
• Street Tree Size at Obstruction Only After Many Years

40. Recap: Solutions
• Current Conflicts:
• ISA-Certified Arborist :: Solar-Friendly
• Future Conflicts:
• Analysis needed for time
• Species selection and restrictions in space
• Ordinances: parcel, street, neighborhood level
• Most People Forget Trees are Dynamic, PV is Static
• Trees and Solar are Good Partners

41. Solution
• Get an arborist
• Educate the home owner

42. Questions?
Sara Davis, Mile High Million Program Manager
Department of Parks and Recreation
Sara.davis@denvergov.org
Jessica Scott, Sustainability Strategist
Office of Sustainability
Jessica.scott@denvergov.org
Dan Staley
DCS Consulting
Green Infrastructure Consultant
Staley.dan@gmail.con