How lengthy does it take to evaluate the smallest modifications to an authorized photo voltaic residence venture plan? That’s my query for David Lopez, the chief constructing officer in Berkeley, Calif., after him plan checkers pay $200 FEES to evaluate a brand new weatherproof label on the duvet of {the electrical} service panel.
Lopez pointed to the Oakland border, the place he mentioned photo voltaic allow charges are increased. He additionally famous that whereas the state authorities code caps photo voltaic allow charges, the code doesn’t set a cap on charges for revisions. And in regards to the time spent reviewing the brand new label and corresponding plans?
“It takes a whole lot of workers time, despite the fact that you say it is small,” Lopez informed me. “By the time it goes by means of the entire means of issuance and evaluate and issues like that, plus subject inspection, we cost an hour, which is $200.”
There is not any additional investigation in my case. But the purpose right here is just not actually about my venture.
The backside line is that this: I’ve labored with over 100 constructing officers, first responders, contractors, product producers, and take a look at lab engineers to create inexpensive clear vitality safely and effectively. method. If a municipality hides from legal responsibility and stands agency in its proper to cost extreme photo voltaic allow charges, it not solely places contractors and the general public in an adversarial place with the constructing division, this raises the price of clear vitality.
$200 price to evaluate a label that can’t be renewed in time
Contractors typically say that allowing and inspections might be unpredictable. Results usually rely on the person holding the clipboard moderately than a uniform algorithm.
On massive tasks, design and engineering groups fastidiously consider website situations to attenuate the danger of further critiques for already authorized plans.
In residential photo voltaic, system designers rely largely on satellite tv for pc imagery to determine what number of photo voltaic panels to placed on the roof and the right way to configure them. When the installers arrive on the roof, they measure and mark the boundaries of the photo voltaic array. Markings point out the place to put tools, preserving entry for firefighters to climb onto the roof in case of an emergency. They may also verify that there aren’t any obstructions on the roof that might intrude with the photo voltaic set up.
My venture put in photo voltaic panels on three sections of the pitched roof and one part of the practically flat roof. After marking the rows, I moved an east-facing panel to the south-facing roof. In the unique location, it turned out that the panel body would have been near scraping the flat roof. By shifting the south-facing panels from one row in portrait orientation to 2 rows in panorama, there may be room so as to add yet another panel.
Here is the preliminary label and the revised label displaying the change in photo voltaic array structure, a typical observe in residential photo voltaic.
The authorized set of plans reveals 14 forms of warning labels to be positioned on photo voltaic and electrical tools, together with a weatherproof label with an array map.
You might fail the inspection if the array map doesn’t match the roof structure. The danger of a failed inspection is just not the one motive I’m requesting a revised allow. I consider that photo voltaic professionals ought to talk overtly with constructing officers when anticipating constructing officers to cooperate within the deployment of photo voltaic vitality.
SolSmart is just not all the time sufficient
Some of my interactions with the planning division met my expectations in Berkeley, a metropolis with a SolSmart Gold designation. Municipalities obtain SolSmart designations by following nationwide greatest practices for encouraging the expansion of photo voltaic vitality, akin to permitting cross-training and inspection of venture workers. photo voltaic and streamlining approvals for small tasks.
Here is the timeline of my expertise:
- The planning division issued my preliminary allow directly. The preliminary price is $127. I requested a few questions of a constructing inspector earlier than the inspection, and I acquired immediate and useful solutions every time.
- A plan reviewer then informed me to an amended allow will price $200 — with out supporting documentation.
- After I paid the price, collected the amended allow, and handed the inspection, I requested a number of extra questions over the cellphone, on the counter, and thru e-mail.
- Lopez, the chief constructing officer, took the time to search for photo voltaic allow charges in Oakland, El Cerrito, Albany, and San Leandro to emphasise his level that the charges I paid have been comparatively low. He additionally took the time to quote California Government Code Section 66015 because the authority on photo voltaic allow charges.
- He refused to inform me how a lot time the workers spent reviewing my utility for a allow renewal.
As for the photo voltaic array design modifications, my system designer spent about quarter-hour revising the plans. The scope of the revision was very small, he didn’t cost me.
Cities ought to be extra accountable for photo voltaic charges
Jeff Cook, a renewable vitality coverage and market analyst on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is working to scale back the price and complexity of small-scale photo voltaic venture deployment by means of packages like SolSmart. Cook additionally supported the rollout of straightforward, automated photo voltaic allowing by means of SolarAPP+, an answer now obtainable in 150 cities, together with Berkeley.
Some communities which have adopted SolarAPP+ have lowered or eradicated revision charges, as a result of the platform eliminates the workers time wanted for plan evaluate, Cook informed me. Others cost revision charges to cowl the workers time required to course of data for public entry.
For communities that cost revision charges, Cook mentioned, “I consider most group allowing departments must get the charges authorized by the town council, mayor, [or] metropolis ​​supervisor relying on their governance construction. In these conditions, allowing departments should justify prices primarily based on labor hours.
When contractors and owners blow the whistle on municipalities that cost allow charges above the state’s $450 restrict for small residential tasks, the California Solar and Storage Association Permitting Director Dara Yung is investigating.
As of mid-May 2024, Yung monitored 9 cities and one province that gave the impression to be in non-compliance, together with:
- Fresno with reported charges of greater than $2,000 for a solar-plus-storage venture,
- San Jose with a reported $1,500 price for a solar-plus-storage venture, and
- Livermore with a reported price of $968.50 and a $212.16 modification price for a venture with photo voltaic, storage, and a brand new 125-amp subpanel.
Municipalities that undertake SolarAPP+ shortly report on permits issued and estimated time financial savings from automated allowing. They should additionally report allow charges collected, together with renewal charges. All cities ought to.
Local leaders and state representatives should maintain cities to the next commonplace.
Matthew Hirsch is a resident of Berkeley, Calif., and the proprietor of TerraCurrent, a advertising and marketing company primarily based in Berkeley.
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