Effective May 1, 2008, the City of Littleton became the first city in Colorado known to waive all city building permit fees for the installation of solar hot water and photovoltaic (PV) systems for existing residential structures.

The city council amended the city code to encourage Littleton residents to install energy saving systems in their homes. Over the last 12 months, Littleton issued approximately ten permits for solar installations. The revenue collected on these permits was approximately $6,500. Waiving the permit fees won't cause a significant impact to the city budget but it is hoped will inspire homeowners to take advantage of the significant energy and cost savings associated with solar systems.

According to the Governor's Energy Office (GEO), solar heated domestic water is one of the most effective ways to incorporate renewable energy into a home. Up to 15 percent of the annual energy consumed is used for domestic water heating. By using solar energy to heat domestic water, homeowners can significantly reduce their water heating costs while also mitigating the consumption of fossil fuels.

Solar electric grid tied PV systems allow the owner to send excess energy back into the grid, mitigating the susceptibility to fluctuations in the price of electricity. Distributed solar electric systems also decrease the demand for electricity generated from fossil fuels plants, which leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Substantial rebates of up to $12,000 for solar electric systems and up to $3,000 for solar domestic hot water systems are available from the GEO's Residential Solar Program. Visit www.colorado.gov/energy/renewables/ResidentialSolarProgram.asp or call Chief Building Official Jim Thelen at 303-795-3784.