The National Civic League’s focus on civic engagement and environmental sustainability led to engagement with the national SolSmart project. We are proud to serve as an awarding institution, encouraging communities to apply for the SolSmart designation. Click here to learn more about this project.
In November, 2016, Perry, IA received a SolSmart bronze rating.
Perry, Iowa City Manager Sven Peterson on involvement with the program:
“As an Early Adopter, Perry took full advantage of the partnerships within this program. Working with the Technical Assistance Team added an extra layer of stability to the process and our achievement of SolSmart Bronze Designation would not have been possible without them and our partnership with Mike Fisher from Impact7G. We look forward to continuing the partnerships we have built to advance our designation.”
The role solar plays in Perry’s growth as a community:
“Solar has been a very important part of Perry’s focus on sustainable development. We have made major investments in sustainable practices through building system upgrades, interior and exterior LED lighting upgrades, wind turbine installation and solar installation. For us, solar has been one of the most cost effective investments we have made in our community. The solar installation on our Farmer’s Market Building not only powers our local growers, but our Parks Maintenance Building as well. This array has produced enough power that we made the decision to replace a gas-powered utility vehicle with an electric model. Our latest advancement in solar development has been providing an aggressive Tax Abatement plan to homeowners with being solar ready as one of the requirements for eligibility. Taking our experience and success with solar and passing it on to the community to encourage them take a serious look at solar is one of our approaches to building a more sustainable community.”
