The U.S. Department of Energy developed this comprehensive resource to assist local governments and stakeholders in building sustainable local solar markets. This second edition of the guide was updated to include new market developments and innovations for advancing local solar markets that have emerged since the first edition was released in 2009. This updated edition also contains the most recent lessons and successes from the original 25 Solar America Cities and other communities promoting solar energy. The guide introduces a range of policy and program options that have been successfully field tested in cities and counties around the country. The guide describes each policy or program, followed by more information on:

• Benefits: Identifies benefits from implementing the policy or program.
• Implementation Tips and Options: Outlines various tips and options for designing and implementing the policy or program.
• Examples: Highlights experiences from communities that have successfully implemented the policy or program.
• Additional References and Resources: Lists additional reports, references, and tools that offer more information on the topic, where applicable.

For more information on Solar America Communities, visit http://solaramericacommunities.energy.gov/.