SolarAPP+
Permitting and interconnection processes impose direct and indirect costs on home and business solar installations that are far higher in the United States than in other developed countries with robust solar markets. SolarAPP+ seeks a fundamental reshaping of solar permitting at the federal, state, and local levels.
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how frequently a new solar system is installed in the U.S.
About Solar Permitting
Before installing solar, system owners must meet many permitting requirements. Depending on the jurisdiction and the system type and size, permitting can require significant time and cost. Keeping jup with state and municipal permitting requirements can be burdensome, particularly for small installers.
Soft costs, including permitting and inspection costs, drive up residential solar prices. Streamlined permitting can help increase solar deployment. A report released by SunRun shows that a standardized permitting process for residential systems could reduce costs by $1 billion over 5 years.
SEIA is working to remove market barriers through education, faster permitting, and model permitting.
Featured Legislation
Several states have taken action to address permitting, inspection and associated soft costs. For example, California passed the Solar Permitting Efficiency Act (Assembly Bill 2188) in 2014 that required all city and county governments to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems with a capacity of less than 10 kW. Cities and counties are required to conform their permitting processes to the recommendations in the California Solar Permitting Guidebook. The bill also requires that cities and counties provide all eligible systems with a simple checklist for the permit process.
Legislation enacted in Massachusetts in 2012 required the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to develop recommendations for improved interconnection policies and processes.139 In accordance with this legislation, the DPU established three basic tracks for interconnection.140 The Simplified track, for systems with a capacity of 15 kW or less, has a maximum timeline for approval of 15 days. The Expedited track, for systems 15 kW or greater, has a maximum time frame of 40 days. All facilities that are not eligible for the Simplified or Expedited tracks are put on the Standard track, which has a maximum time frame for approval of 125 days.
In 2017, Colorado enacted SB17-179, a bill co-sponsored by SEIA and COSEIA, to extend the Fair Permit Act. The bill had bipartisan sponsors in both chambers. It extends the cap on fees for residential solar permits at $500 and the cap on commercial permits at $1,000. Local government fees are still widely variable, but the cap represents a way to bring some uniformity and fairness to the costs of solar permitting across Colorado.
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Additional Solar Permitting Resources
