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DRIVING DOWN COST FOR INSTALLERS AND MUNICIPALITIES BY STREAMLINING THE PERMITTING PROCESS

Working together with local jurisdictions and building officials, SolarTech Members are achieving their objectives of faster PV project approvals, predictable installation timelines, resulting in more efficient utilization of industry and public resources.

- more about SolarTech's Permitting Initiative -

CURRENT PROJECTS:

• Best Practices guide
• Survey of Current Practices
• On-Line Permitting Tool for Municipalities

 

Regional Renewable Energy Permitting Symposium, held on December 15, 2008

Planning and permitting barriers all too frequently drive significant costs and delays in getting renewable energy systems installed.  Unclear and inconsistent permitting requirements are creating barriers to the adoption of clean power production.

On December 15, 2008, the Renewable Energy Permitting Symposium gathered building, code, fire and permitting leaders, along with industry representatives, from various jurisdictions across the Bay Area to gather data to generate a dialogue and identify actionable solutions to streamline the PV permitting process. The Symposium involved leaders from CalSEIA, PG&E, Solar America Board of Codes & Standards, building jurisdictions, and industry. With over 29 jurisdictions represented.

This committee’s charter is to develop and implement standard solar permitting forms and inspection practices through a collaborative process, working with local jurisdictions and building officials. The benefit of achieving the objectives is faster PV project approvals, predictable installation timelines, and more efficient utilization of industry and public resources.

Additionally, as a means to create an adoption roadmap to bring more consistency in building codes, the sub-committee is creating a database for reference by PV integrators that can help with planning Operations. The committee will then work through political avenues to bring a more uniform set of adopted codes and standards in the jurisdictions reviewing PV permits.

SolarTech proposed a “Top 10 List” as follows: 
·           Common submittal form for all jurisdictions (shared Goal)
·           Industry to comply with “City Best Practices” (shared Goal)
·           Over the Counter Permits for those meeting and maintaining certain levels of quality (the result of 1 & 2)
·           Same (or very similar) requirements for Residential PV systems meeting core code conditions (roof, etc)
·           Initial submittal review not to exceed 5 days (shared Goal)
·           Online Submittals combined with Online “Status”
·           Permits are based on cost recovery, or not to exceed $xxx
·           Provide Inspections that are timely, predictable & available in a narrow time frame
·           Eliminate other extraneous requirements that do not impact the safety or soundness of solar installations
·           Reduce / eliminate variability in NEC Code adoption