Lucas County earns SolSmart Bronze, and a free guide to going solar

If you have wondered what it takes to put solar panels on a Toledo-area roof, Lucas County now has a free place to start.

The Board of Lucas County Commissioners announced on October 8 that the county earned a SolSmart Bronze designation. SolSmart is a national program that rewards local governments for making solar easier to navigate. Bronze is the first of four levels, followed by Silver, Gold and Platinum.

The practical part is the Lucas County Guide to Solar. It pulls together local information on evaluating a property's solar potential, permitting and zoning, utility connections, financing, consumer protections, workforce and educational opportunities, local solar projects, and solar panel recycling. You can find it at LucasCountyGreen.com/solar.

To earn the designation, the Board worked with the Lucas County Plan Commission and Building Regulations staff on solar best practices. They developed checklists to support the permitting and inspection process.

The county's solar inventory, based on 2025 data, estimates about 13.31 megawatts of solar capacity across 425 identified properties. That is 373 residential, 39 commercial and 13 industrial.

Lucas County Sustainability Coordinator Benjamin Pushka said the goal is to make it easier for people to understand their options, "whether or not solar ultimately makes sense for them."

Nothing here changes a rule or costs you anything. It is a clearer map, and for a permit process that can feel like a maze, that is worth having.