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According to an analysis from Environment America and Frontier Group, permitting requirements can add a whopping $7,000 to the cost of a rooftop solar power system. $7,000?! That’s a crazy amount of extra money to add onto a solar power system just to get a permit.
The good news in New York is that lawmakers are pushing to do away with complicated, costly permitting requirements and actually automate the permitting process in a streamlined way. Those of you who have been reading CleanTechnica for several years probably know how they plan to do that — using SolarAPP+. We’ve written about it several times, including when I interviewed someone behind the early implementation.
As one might expect, SolarAPP+ makes solar (and battery energy storage) permitting quicker, cleaner, and easier through an app-based system. “SolarAPP+ (Automated Permit Processing) is making clean energy more affordable through the automation of residential solar and energy storage permitting,” the company currently summarizes it. “Developed by the government with the solar industry, this online platform delivers compliant and quick plan review for local governments and contractors.” There are now more than 350 jurisdictions using the app, more than 150,000 permits have been issued through it, and it is estimated to have saved 150,000+ staff hours.
