The City of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities is reaffirming that solar installations are permitted in the city’s public power service area.
“We are not prohibiting solar—rather, we welcome homeowners who wish to harness the power of the sun,” city officials said in a statement. “In fact, several customers have recently installed new rooftop solar installations.”
City officials stated the following:
Rooftop solar
Bowling Green electric customers are welcome to install rooftop, as well as ground mounted, solar systems. Customers need to complete the following steps:
- Submit the Interconnection Application and the Interconnection Agreement to the Utilities Department.
- Complete an application for zoning certificate with the city’s Planning Department.
- After the city approves the above, install the solar generating equipment.
- Submit the certificate of completion prior to energizing the system.
Interconnection agreements & fees
To connect a solar system safely and fairly to the grid, the city requires a formal interconnection process. This exists to:
- Ensure grid safety and stability – technical review ensures the customer’s system works in harmony with the city’s distribution network, protecting everyone.
- Maintain fair cost distribution – through Rider E, solar customers pay a monthly facilities charge based on their system size. This helps to cover shared infrastructure costs—poles, lines, maintenance, staff, and backup connections that solar customers rely upon every hour of the day. Example: A customer with a 5-kW solar installation would pay $20/month for the monthly facilities charge in Rider E. This charge ensures solar customers contribute their fair share toward the use of the electric utility grid without shifting costs onto households without solar.
Selling excess power
If a solar customer’s system generates more electricity than they can use, they can sell excess power back to the city at the city’s avoided cost rate included in Rider E. A bi-directional meter tracks the flow of electricity in both directions and a credit is automatically applied to the customer’s monthly utility bill.
A shared renewable energy future
Bowling Green is a not-for-profit, municipally owned public utility. While solar installations contribute to a household’s needs, the city still maintains contracts for other renewable sources and a diverse energy portfolio to meet community-wide commitments. That ensures 24/7 power availability, even when solar panels aren’t producing.
This structure supports equity. Customers with solar don’t avoid costs that keep the grid ready and secure for everyone.
Learn more or get started
Visit Solar: Is It Right for My Home? on the city website:
- https://www.bgohio.org/582/Solar-Is-It-Right-For-My-Home
Review key documents on the utilities page:
- Interconnection Standards for Installation and Parallel Operation of Customer-Owned Renewable Electric Generation Facilities.
- Electric Rate Schedule, Rider E.
Contact the utilities director’s office at 419-354-6246 or utilities@bgohio.org for step-by-step guidance.
