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Accela Selected as a Ragan and PR Daily Media Relations Award Finalist for Permitting Solution SolarAPP+

Govtech leader recognized for PR campaign efforts in the new product or service launch category supporting solar permitting platform

 

San Ramon, Calif. (November 14, 2022) – Accela®, the trusted provider of cloud solutions for government, today announced that it was selected by Ragan and PR Daily as a Media Relations Award finalist. Ragan and PR Daily recognized Accela, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), for its media relations campaign to support the launch and ongoing success of solar permitting platform, SolarAPP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus).

To meet U.S. climate goals, solar permitting needs to be faster, cheaper, and easier. In April 2021, Accela and NREL, launched SolarAPP+, an instant, cloud-based platform to help governments speed up the solar permit process and reduce barriers for solar energy. To help raise awareness about this powerful tool, Accela and NREL engaged in a public relations campaign that resulted in impactful media coverage in a mix of government, technology, and sustainability publications.

“Accela has unique expertise in delivering innovative solutions that address communities’ strategic goals and needs, especially in increasingly important areas like solar energy,” said Heidi Lorenzen, senior vice president, marketing of Accela. “In collaboration with NREL, Accela is proud to offer governments a tool to deliver solar permitting efficiencies. We are humbled to be recognized for our media relations campaign that drove awareness of the solution and helped to create the significant traction that it has achieved in the fight against climate change.”

SolarAPP+ allows agencies to seamlessly manage large volumes of residential solar and home battery permit applications, making it easier to move away from nonrenewable energy sources. In 18 months, SolarAPP+ has saved communities more than 10,000 hours in permitting timelines and thousands of dollars. Approximately 10,000 permits and nearly 60,000 kilowatts of energy were approved thanks to the app. These results all point to the value of modern government technology in helping communities deliver better experiences to residents and become more efficient.

Ragan and PR Daily Award programs celebrate the most successful campaigns, initiatives, people and teams in the communication, PR, marketing and employee wellbeing industries. As the leading voice in organizational communications—both internal and external—Ragan Communications recognizes those who create and cultivate best practices.

In addition to being a finalist for this Ragan and PR Daily award, Accela’s work with NREL on SolarAPP+ was named to Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Award list. Accela has also recently won a 2022 APPEALIE SaaS Award for IT management and operations, Microsoft’s 2022 US Government Partner of the Year for the third consecutive year, and Sammy’s Organization of the Year award.

To learn more about Accela solutions, please visit https://www.accela.com/solutions/.

 

About Accela

Accela provides a unified suite of cloud solutions trusted by governments across the globe to accelerate their digital transformation, deliver vital services, and build stronger communities. More than 275 million citizens worldwide benefit from Accela’s government software solutions. The company offers agile, purpose-built solutions and the power of a platform that provides users with a consumer-like experience, shares data across departments, and ensures world-class security.

With Accela, government agencies experience rapid and effective digital transformation. Accela’s government software meets agencies wherever they are on their modernization journey, while also helping them prepare for whatever comes next. Three-consecutive year Microsoft US Partner Award winner for its innovative SaaS solutions to help governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and was selected by Fast Company for its World Changing Ideas Award in 2022. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com.