Solar@Scale 2025 Topic Webinars 

In 2025, the Solar@Scale team developed topic webinars addressing frequent questions and requests for guidance, including best practices in planning for large scale solar. These webinars include first-hand examples from local jurisdictions and property owners, as well as experts in the planning and solar fields.

Watch Here 

Solar@Scale Webinar Series

This 9-part webinar series was released following the publication of the Solar@Scale Guidebook and begins with a Guidebook overview webinar. The following eight parts mirror the eight Guidebook modules, from understanding the market for large-scale solar development, to improving land-use decision-making, to zoning and community planning for large-scale solar. Each webinar includes real-world, community examples and takeaways from speakers who work in local government and the solar industry alike.

Session 1: Solar@Scale Guidebook Overview. An introduction to the Solar@Scale guidebook designed to help local government practitioners make decisions that improve large-scale solar development outcomes.

Session 2: Defining Large-Scale Solar Development. Explore the concept of large-scale solar development by unpacking the foundational characteristics of large-scale solar energy facilities and their development, highlighting how project context affects perceptions of project scale, and summarizing the most significant potential benefits and tradeoffs of large-scale solar projects for local jurisdictions.

Session 3: Understanding the Market for Large-Scale Solar Development. The most significant trends driving national demand for large-scale solar development, the influence of distinct actors on demand in a particular jurisdiction, and how different levels of government exercise authority over proposed projects.

Session 4: Community Planning for Large-Scale Solar Development. Five steps local jurisdictions can take to define and integrate a vision and policy implementation for large-scale solar development into local plans.

Session 5: Zoning for Large-Scale Solar Development. The importance of defining key terms, specifying permissible uses, and establishing appropriate standards and development charges for large-scale solar development.

Session 6: Improving Land-Use Decision-Making for Large-Scale Solar Development. Steps officials can take to improve applicant submissions and review processes, secure community benefits through agreements and written decisions, and ensure compliance through inspections.

Session 7: Hosting Large-Scale Solar Development Projects. Key steps for hosting large-scale solar development projects on local-government-owned land: identifying project goals, selecting potential sites, and choosing development partners.

Session 8: Assisting Large-Scale Solar Development. How local technical assistance initiatives can improve large-scale solar development outcomes and how local jurisdictions may be able to use financial assistance programs to facilitate projects that help meet specific local objectives.

Session 9: Maximizing Success. The importance of monitoring and evaluating the performance of local plans, programs, and policies that affect large-scale solar development; aligning local land-use and regional utility plans; enhancing resilience; and preparing for innovation in solar technologies.

Download the Solar@Scale 3rd Edition Guidebook.