The City of Bellevue is Recognized with the SolSmart Bronze Designation

According to a recent Bellevue Reporter article, the city of Bellevue was recognized by SolSmart, a national energy efficiency program that launched in 2016, with a Bronze Designation “for making it faster, easier and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.” In order to receive a Designation by SolSmart, cities have to make changes to their current processes in an effort to make it faster and more cost effective to incorporate solar energy.

As Heidi Bedwell, the Manager of Environmental Planning with Bellevue’s Development Services Department tells the Reporter, “Our goal has been to support solar energy by utilizing a simple, consistent solar permit process for residents and businesses.” She describes the process ongoing and says its helped the city “cut the cost of solar and make it a more viable clean energy option.”

The Reporter writes that Bellevue’s SolSmart recognition “builds on the city’s accomplishments in promoting solar by participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative in 2012, earning recognition through the Evergreen State Solar Partnership, and collaborating with Sparks Northwest on two Solarize campaigns in 2014 and 2015.”

An eco-friendly mindset has been at the forefront of Bellevue for quite some time, as development projects have incorporated “green” technology through developments such as the Bellevue Towers, a LEED Gold Certified building that offers energy-saving glass, rooftop gardens, sustainable design, eco-finishes, a green roof, and more.