As part of its SunShot Initiative, the US government is allocating more than US$27 million in funding to bring down the non-hardware installation costs of solar energy projects. Up to US$12.5 million of this will be assigned to the Rooftop Solar Challenge, which will help eliminate the administrative barriers for small-scale systems, while the remaining US$15 million is being used to streamline the installation process for local governments.

These process improvements and innovations will not only facilitate the widespread adoption of solar in the US but also increase the country’s competitiveness in the global solar industry. Consequently, it will also help achieve President Obama's goal of doubling the US’s clean energy electrical output.

"These investments under the SunShot program can help to transform the solar energy industry by addressing significant challenges to solar energy deployment, including permitting and installation," said US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. "Innovations in IT and local business processes, such as online permit applications, can deliver significant savings for solar energy systems and will help America to compete globally in this growing market."