Get Your Solar Panel Permit by Sunset as City Implements Faster Approval for Projects

“Projects that are approved using SolarAPP+ are installed about two business weeks faster,” says Jeff Cook, SolarAPP+ program lead at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which developed the software. “That’s a huge benefit to the homeowners, and to the climate, and to contractors and jurisdictions, as well.”

NREL plans to release a report in the coming weeks with data from the nearly twenty jurisdictions where SolarAPP+ is active that will illustrate the impact of the sped-up permitting process. In the meantime, Denver went live with SolarAPP+ on April 12.

Thanks to SolarAPP+, solar installers for single-home or duplex projects can now receive a permit the very same day that they submit their plans to the city through an automated system. In contrast, the normal review process takes about thirty days.

Denver Community Planning & Development partnered with NREL as one of twelve cities across the country that were selected as winners of a prize to launch SolarAPP+; CPD could still win $15,000 for implementing it successfully.

“We’re really excited to be the first here in Colorado to do it and lead the way,” says Robert Peek, director of development system performance for the City and County of Denver.

According to Cook, permitting for solar projects has been challenging, as it is for most emerging technologies. So the federal laboratory began looking into ways to make the process easier, starting in 2007. It dove into SolarAPP+ in 2019 after determining that automating permitting could be a solution.

The lab started rolling the program out to cities in 2021, and Peek says Denver first heard it could participate about a year and a half ago.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our processes and make the customer experience that much better,” Peek says. “Once this was presented, we said, ‘This is a no-brainer.’”

Planning & Development worked with NREL to customize the software — which is based on national building codes — to Denver’s specifications. As a failsafe in case the automated process malfunctions, inspectors will still be sent out to examine projects once they’re completed.

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The National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed the software for SolarAPP+.

NREL

Data from an NREL report on the first seven cities to implement SolarAPP+ showed that SolarAPP+ projects “failed about 17 percent of inspections, compared to 27 percent of traditional projects” — and Cook notes the software is constantly being tested for bugs and problems that would result in lacking projects being approved.

Should Denver win the $15,000 award, says CPD spokesperson Amanda Weston, the department is considering using the funds for additional training for inspectors around SolarAPP+. Those interested in solar can work with any solar company to submit plans through SolarAPP+, which costs only $25 to use.

Then their permit can be approved immediately and work can begin.

“We’re definitely excited to see Denver adopting SolarAPP+,” says Tanner Simeon-Cox, Colorado program director for the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors, which helps people navigate the process of going solar. “[It] really demonstrates their commitment to making this as simple and seamless for community members as they possibly can.”

While Solar United Neighbors hasn’t seen significant issues with permitting in Colorado, Simeon-Cox says Denver implementing SolarAPP+ is a proactive move to make the process even better.

Adam Carlson, senior permit coordinator for Denver-based Sunrun Solar, says that he gets excited now when a permit for the city comes across his desk because he knows it will be an easy task. Sunrun was part of the city’s SolarAPP+ pilot program.

“I would say fifteen minutes would be a good round-trip time for the whole thing,” Carlson says of the new permitting process. “Twenty minutes if you get a little confused, or if you’re digging around for something, or if you’re a little distracted.”

Along with saving time for installers, CPD estimates that SolarAPP+ will save city staff an estimated 1,240 hours of review time in a year — freeing those staff members to analyze other projects.

“They’re also reviewing building plans for new construction and additions and remodels,” Peek says. “It’s a huge benefit for solar customers and solar contractors, but also a benefit to all of our customers, because they’re able to get through the process and our system that much faster.”

The service could eventually expand to include larger projects, as well, depending on how successfully it works for the single-and-duplex projects it’s ready for now, Peek says.

The service could also expand to other clean-energy options in the future, Cook adds.

“We’ve always expected the application to do all sorts of clean-energy technologies,” he says. “That’s what the ‘plus’ signifies — that we’re going beyond solar with the intent of trying to streamline and automate permitting safely for all clean-energy tech.”

The most exciting expansion for these solar companies is the idea that more jurisdictions could follow in Denver’s path.

“We definitely hope that other municipalities follow Denver’s lead in the state,” Simeon-Cox says. “Not because we’ve been seeing major issues, but just because we support SolarAPP+ and we think that it makes things easier both for residents and for municipal governments.”

The more places that adopt SolarAPP+, the greater its impact will be, Cook says. And once one community in a state has the program up and running, it’s easier to get others involved.

“Once you’ve resolved for Denver, it’s going to be a lot easier to resolve for Aurora or Douglas County,” Cook says. “Because they’re actually very similar geographically, climatically, topographically, etc.”

It looks like sunny days ahead for solar energy in Denver.