Study of Solar Permitting and Inspection
SolarTech just released the latest in its annual Permitting studies. This latest study is significant in a number of ways. Not only is this most statistically valid study to date of solar PV integrator and building official perceptions towards the permitting and inspection issues, it also offers a compelling dashboard model recommendation the industry should adopt for reporting trends and improvements in permitting and inspection cycle times.
The work was conducted by a team of undergraduate business students at San Jose State University under the direction of SolarTech’s Permitting Committee. The team surveyed 132 AHJs and 170 integrators across Northern California with thirty AHJs responding and twenty integrators responding. The team complemented the survey finding with insights gained by interviewing key personnel in both camps.
The capstone of the team’s project was the development of a Solar Friendly Adoption Report Card (SARC). SARC is a reporting dashboard methodology enabling the deployment of an ongoing survey and reporting service. Based on a Yelp-like reporting service, the goal was designing and demonstrating a Northern California pilot that could be extended Nationally as a National SARC. Such a service would enable easier identification of successes and best practices as well as targeted training and technical support assisting those communities seeking to build a vibrant solar PV economy.
This work was funded in part through a grant from the California Employment Development Department as part of the Green Innovations Challenge Grant.