CH2M HILL has announced completion of a new PV economic development report to help guide U.S. cities seeking to recruit and retain investment in the photovoltaic (PV) solar manufacturing industry. The report was completed as part CH2M HILL's ongoing support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar America Communities program.

The report, titled "Solar Photovoltaic Economic Development: Building and Growing a Local PV Industry," guides U.S. city and regional development groups in evaluating their competitiveness, assessing the viability of their solar PV development goals, and developing strategies for recruitment and retention of PV companies.

The guide contains knowledge and experience gained through the Solar America Cities program which can now be used to benefit a broad range of local governments and economic development groups throughout the U.S. The report is available online at Solar Photovoltaic Economic Development: Building and Growing a Local PV Industry.

CH2M HILL recently released a related tool, the PV Cost Convergence Model, which is the first model of its kind providing the means to determine when residential and commercial solar PV energy rates will achieve grid parity in each of the 25 Solar America Cities.

CH2M HILL was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide a range of services in support of the Solar America Communities program, which was created to eliminate market barriers to solar energy and support development of new solar solutions.

CH2M HILL is working with officials in each city to create customized programs encompassing solar engineering, financial modeling studies, zoning code revisions, structural engineering analysis, emergency management operations using solar power, site selection for solar arrays, and installer certification and training.

CH2M HILL also developed a first-of-its-kind web-based Solar Mapping tool that allows a city's residents to estimate the cost to equip the roofs of their homes with solar panels, calculate how much money a home can save by using solar power, and choose from a list of local solar installers.

The 25 Solar America Cities that CH2M HILL supports are Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Knoxville, TN; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Seattle, WA; Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Madison, WI; New Orleans, LA; New York City, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Tucson, AZ.

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