A Guide to Solar Permits and Inspections

Solar permit and inspection is very crucial process for any solar system installation. A solar permit is an official document issued by the local government that grants permission to install solar energy systems on a residential or commercial building. This paperwork validates that the size and type of solar panel system adhere to all the safety and building standards in the area.

Obtaining a solar permit is important to ensure that solar installations follow the safety regulations in your location and are installed properly. Failing to follow this step can result in legal issues such as imposing costly fines or forcing to dismantle the solar panel installation.

The solar installer or contractor obtains required permits from local authorities before installation. Once the solar PV system is installed, a professional from your local government’s construction department will perform a final inspection process that ensures the building, electrical, and safety codes have been followed. After the confirmation, the utility will agree to the interconnection of the system and grid to start generating power.

Let’s find out what is a SolarAPP+, how to apply for the application to receive a solar panel permit, the costs involved, and the alternatives if your request gets denied.

What Are The Requirements For A Solar Permit?

Depending upon the location, installation size, and types, the requirements for obtaining solar permits vary as explained below in detail:

Location-Based Requirements

The permitting requirements differ by state, town, and local zoning laws in the following ways:

1. State-Level Requirements: A few states in the U.S. such as Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, and several others do not provide permits to install solar panels. At the same time, if you reside in any of these states such as California, New York, Texas, Nevada, and Illinois you can obtain solar permits.

2. Town-Level Requirements: Local governments have varying laws and regulations, so the exact steps and the permitting fees change across various towns and cities, which increases the soft costs for installing solar systems. Also, the local governments can come up with development standards that the approved solar energy systems must satisfy to avoid the requirements of extra permits or variance.

3. Local Zoning Laws: The local zoning laws and building codes at the regional level play an important role in regulating the suitability and safety of installing solar panels in different areas. It includes height limitations and minimum standards for solar installations.

Installation Size and Type-Based Requirements

The requirement for solar installations varies based on the system size and type:

1. Residential solar installations cover a capacity from 3 kW to 10 kW. For example, a 5 kW system requires 20 panels of each 250 Watts on your roof with 300 square feet of free space to install these panels. You can use tools such as NREL’s GHI maps to calculate the sunlight your panel will get in certain hours in your location.

2. Commercial solar installations are available upto 10 kW to several megawatts that require large roof space or land areas. They need structure-based arrangements to guarantee they support extra loads.

3. Off-grid solar installations range from 1 kW to 10 kW, depending on factors such as average energy consumption per day, availability of sunlight in your region, equipment selection, appliances attempting to operate, and configuring the entire system. With the combination of multiple calculators such as a solar array, battery bank, solar charge controller, and power inverter, you can calculate the required components for your off-grid solar system.

4. Utility grid solar installations require a large land area with usage requirements varying from 3 to 5 acres per GWh per year. The permitting and regulatory approvals are often required which include land usage, environmental impact, grid interconnection, and construction permits.

Common Permits

These are common solar permits you need to know:

1. Building permits guarantee the structural quality of solar panel system installation that adheres to local building codes and zoning regulations.

2. Electrical permits are important to ensure that the installation aligns with the National Electrical Code (NEC).

3. Structural permits are mandatory to certify that the solar panel system is well-constructed and can resist harsh environmental conditions.

4. Interconnection permits are required for the connection between the solar system and the grid to confirm that it meets your utility demands.

Solar Inspection Process

During the pre-installation process, the professional solar installer confirms that the system is designed and installed perfectly which involves these essential procedures:

1. The first step is to contact a reliable solar installation company for an in-depth consultation to discuss energy requirements, budget, or any other specific needs. As a result, the solar company will evaluate your property’s eligibility for solar installation based on roof space availability, shading, and orientation.
2. Additionally, the solar professional will review the roof condition and structural quality of your roof to figure out the compatibility of an electrical system, placement, and set-up for solar panels.
3. The next step involves discussing the information available on incentives, rebates, and financial programs.
4. Your solar company ensures management of the required paperwork and permits such as building permits and interconnection contracts with local utility companies.
5. The installation site will be prepared by clearing the roof or ground covered with dirt.

The post-installation process involves these main steps:

1. System verification confirms that the solar system is installed correctly and safely.
2. Operational safety reviews the electrical connections, grounding, and equipment certification.
3. Adhering to local regulations ensures the solar installation complies with local regulations and safety standards.

Utility inspection is necessary for solar installation to review your documents once your application is submitted. The process includes either a physical inspection or an online inspection to ensure that your system’s equipment and installations follow their standards.

Additionally, interconnection testing is performed to check the impact of your system on the grid. Upon successful review, the utility company will provide you with Permission to Operate (PTO) via an email or official letter, which certifies your system’s eligibility for installation by fulfilling all requirements. After receiving a PTO, you can start generating power through your solar panel system and feed it into the grid.

How to submit a Solar Panel Permit Application?

Here is a detailed guide on how you should submit a solar panel permit application:

1. Research Local Permit Requirements: Start your research by contacting your local property management services or zoning permit office to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations in your area. Get information about the zoning restrictions, residential and commercial solar permit demands, and additional documentation when required.

2. Collect Important Documentation and Information: These are the essential documents and information you should gather to submit a permit application which includes site planning, system specifications, electrical diagrams, structural or engineering documents, and energy storage systems.

3. Successful completion of the Permit Application Process: Your permit application process will be completed by filling in the mandatory details accurately such as system capacity, equipment requirements, electrical wiring plans, and details about the energy storage system. Remember that your permit might get rejected if there is any incomplete or incorrect information.

4. Permit Fees Payment: You should pay the permit fees along with your application which covers various costs that include planning the review, inspection, and financial services. However, the fees vary according to your location and solar panel system installation scale.

5. Solar Permit Approval: Once you submit your solar permit application to the local permit office, the local authority reviews and approves your plans, certification, and supporting documents as evidence. Additionally, they might conduct inspections to check adherence to any relevant codes, standards, and safety policies as a part of the review process.

6. Additional Tips for Streamlining the permit application process: To facilitate a smooth permit process you need to follow additional tips. This includes conducting a pre-permit PV site assessment, keeping yourself updated about local solar permitting regulations, utilizing standard permitting templates, Maximizing advantage in online solar PV permitting systems, and maintaining strong relationships with local officials.

SolarAPP+

SolarAPP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus) is an online tool or virtual operating system that manages solar permits for local governments and other public entities having authority. Although the name seems to be confusing, SolarAPP+ is not the app that you install on a smartphone. The initial development and launch of SolarAPP+ in 2019 was funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) through an award to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The solar permit process is simplified by SolarAPP+ which provides a streamlined portal for receiving and processing the permit information. This helps to reduce the workload while speeding up the solar set-up process.

SolarAPP+ simplifies the solar permit process by offering a streamlined portal for receiving and processing permit information which allows the developers to review the code approval of designs before submitting for permit approval. The local government is provided with a standard portfolio for receiving and managing permit information for residential solar and solar+ storage systems.

By automating the review permit process, SolarAPP+ allows governments to grant instant approvals for solar permits. Most importantly, solar developers with a streamlined system include required standards for permit applications and provide transparency in permitting processes.

SolarAPP+ is currently used in over 210 districts across 12 states in the U.S. that benefit from the efficiency and simplicity of granting permits in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. However, few other local governments are planning to adopt using SolarAPP+.

Costs of Solar Permits and Inspections

Solar permits and inspection costs vary depending on several factors such as the location, system size, and local regulations. For example, a residential solar permit in numerous cities across the U.S. ranges between $150 and $300. However, you need to know that costs in New York are closer to the value of $1,000, which is higher than the $160 price range in Los Angeles. Typically, inspection fees are included along with the permit costs.

Factors influencing permit and inspection costs include:

1. Location: Due to the higher complexity of regulatory requirements, local governments set their permit fee structure. For instance, rural areas have lower solar permit fees than urban areas.
2. System Size and Type: The solar permit cost is determined based on the system size and type. Typically, large-size systems require an in-depth review process increasing the solar permit fees. Also, commercial-type systems installations have higher costs than residential types due to the large-scale components and design complexity.
3. Local Regulations: A few areas require more inspections, strict local codes, or extra requirements for structural engineering and electrical testing during the installation process which adds to the overall permit cost and increases the expenses.
4. Permit Application Complexity: The costs can increase due to the requirement of specialized services if the application requires detailed proof of ownership and technical information.
5. Increased Solar Permit Processing Fees: If you’re opting for instant processing to track the solar permit approval process, the additional fees increase your total solar permit costs.

Most often, the costs related to permits and inspections are included with the total installation price estimated by solar companies. Suppose your solar companies fix a package for installation that includes labor costs, equipment, and interconnection, you should ask for the percentage of the total costs allocated for permitting and inspections.

What Happens If a Solar Permit Gets Denied?

Most commonly, solar permits get denied due to incomplete or incorrect information, non-adherence with local regulations, structural concerns, outstanding fees or taxes, and restrictions on homeowners associations, which can be resolved by implementing the following steps:

1. Review the Important Reasons: Carefully examine why the permit was denied and if there are any simple methods to solve the issue.
2. Modify the project: Make required changes to the project to deal with the complaints which include modifying the design, submitting additional documents, or certifying adherence to local codes.
3. Resubmit the application: After making the modifications correctly, resubmit the application and once again check if the information provided is correct.
4. Consult with experts: Contact solar installation experts or legal advisors to ensure all the requirements are satisfied.

If you believe that your denial was illogical, you have the option to appeal the decision by submitting a request for reconsideration to the zoning board of appeals. Once the appeal is filed, you need to appear for the hearing to present your case. It is important to provide evidence or supporting documents that demonstrate compliance with all relevant codes and regulations. Mainly, you should know that the time limit to submit an appeal won’t be more than 62 days from the date of the building inspector’s decision or activity involved.

Furthermore, you can appoint an attorney if you want and by failing to prove your case the appeal will be rejected. Finally, the appeals board will announce its decision after the hearing and your permit will be granted if it is successful.