Did you know rooftop solar is 3 times cheaper in Australia than installing in the US? One of the many unseen “soft” costs that Americans deal with is the lengthy and complicated local permitting processes that vary by jurisdiction.
Fortunately, the federal government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) worked with the nation’s leading building safety organizations to develop software that automates and standardizes the process for issuing permits for common residential rooftop solar and home energy storage systems while not sacrificing safety. This software is SolarAPP+.
What is SolarAPP+?
Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+) is an online web tool for contractors and local building permitting officials to use that automates the plan review and process for issuing code-compliant permits to install residential solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with or without energy storage systems. SolarAPP+ instantly issues approval and inspection checklists for eligible systems. This significantly reduces staff review time and expedites the permitting process.
Over 200 jurisdictions across the country have now adopted SolarAPP+ to improve their processes for the local government, businesses and ultimately American consumers. Now it’s Maryland’s turn.
The Brighter Tomorrow Act of 2024 requires Maryland jurisdictions to use automated permitting software to speed up the process for residential rooftop solar.
What are the benefits of SolarAPP+?
Free for jurisdictions
SolarAPP+ is free to use for all jurisdictions permitting offices. SolarAPP+ also offers hands-on support for implementing SolarAPP+ for free. A jurisdiction will incur indirect costs such as staff time spent in registration, IT support, and training - these costs, however, can be covered by applying to the MEA SolarAPP+ Grant.
Saves Time
SolarAPP+ has been shown to reduce permitting timelines by 14.5 business days on average, accelerating the full permit-to-inspection process by about 31% for PV-only projects and 44% for PV+storage projects.
Easy to Implement
SolarAPP+ has been launched in as little time as a week. It typically takes between two and four weeks if a jurisdiction is consistently engaged on implementation.
Improves Inspections
Projects processed through SolarAPP+ pass inspections at a 30% higher rate in Montgomery County when compared to projects permitted through the standard process.
SolarAPP+ also provides a detailed inspection checklist with every application that is designed to give any inspector, even those that are not electrical inspectors, the tools to complete a thorough and code compliant inspection of a solar installation.
Compliments Standard Processes
SolarAPP+ is designed to work concurrently with existing processes without any disruptions. It is meant to be an additional avenue to receive instant approval for permits that fit within a specific scope, like a TSA Pre-Check allows a quick security scan for those frequent fliers who gain clearance.
Grant support for Implementation
The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has a grant available to assist Counties and Municipalities with the short-term change management costs that may be associated with deploying a new process, including the need for limited-time, project-specific staffing resources, financial or technical information technology (“IT”)-focused upgrades and training for staff to become acquainted with the integration into existing permitting systems.
Through SolarAPP+, local jurisdiction can speed up the process for residential rooftop solar and bring clean energy much faster to our communities. Take action today by urging your local government to adopt SolarAPP+ !
Send a Letter and Urge Your Local Government to Implement SolarAPP+ !
Sample Letter You can Send to Jurisdictions
More Information
Educational Webinar on the Brighter Tomorrow Act & Solar APP+