INTRODUCTION —

Helping States Streamline Rooftop Solar and Deliver Affordable Energy Options

As energy demand continues to rise in the U.S.,  rooftop solar offers households and businesses an affordable, local solution. With more than 5 million rooftop solar installations already in place, states have the opportunity to build on this momentum.  The model policy released by the Solar and Storage Industries Institute, provides states with a framework to accelerate rooftop solar installations.

The relatively high cost of rooftop solar permitting and inspection in the U.S. has long been cited as a key factor keeping residential solar costs in the U.S. higher than they are in other countries. In response, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory along with private and public partners developed SolarAPP+, an automated rooftop solar permitting software package that is free to local governments. The software has since been adopted by 183 communities where it has been used to process 41,000 solar permits, saving more than 33,000 hours of local government staff time.

By adopting SI2’s model policy and automated permitting tools like SolarAPP+, states can meet rising energy demand with rooftop solar and  provide Americans with affordable energy solutions. 

  Read more about the model policy here 

“As states grapple with meeting their clean energy goals, one of the easiest and most cost-effective steps they can take is to increase the efficiency of their rooftop solar permitting process.”

–David Gahl, Executive Director, SI2