National Renewable Energy Laboratory receives funding to develop automated permit software for solar industry
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently received $695,000 in new funding to develop and deploy new automated permit software for distributed solar and storage to reduce the cost of solar installations.
The funding comes from the Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions, Technology Commercialization Fund.
The goal of the Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP) software platform project is to reduce the time and cost of the permitting application review and approval process to reduce customer cancellation rates and expand solar energy development and solar job growth.
“Over the past decade, NREL research has shown that while the cost of PV modules and other hardware has declined, non-hardware ‘soft’ costs remain relatively constant,” Kristen Ardani, solar analysis sub-program lead at NREL, said. “The SolarAPP software will help address key soft cost challenges by providing both AHJs and installers a standardized online portal to complete and manage permitting and inspection processes. We look forward to serving the critical role of an independent, third-party developer of the SolarAPP portal.”
To develop and deploy the platform, NREL will partner with numerous installation companies, nonprofit organizations and trade associations, including the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Solar Foundation, the California Solar + Storage Association, the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), SunPower, Sunrun, Tesla and Vivint Solar.
These groups are participants in the SolarAPP Campaign, a national initiative of the Solar Foundation and SEIA that aims to fundamentally reshape solar permitting at the federal, state, and local levels. The goal of the initiative is to allow most routine rooftop solar projects to receive instantaneous approval and efficient inspections while enhancing safety and reliability.
“Inefficient permitting can cause frustration and added costs for Americans who just want to go solar,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said. “A streamlined, easy-to-use solution such as SolarAPP can cut down on burdensome applications and connect solar projects to the grid faster. A more reliable permitting experience will help both inspectors and solar customers save time and money without sacrificing safety or quality. We’re thrilled to see SolarAPP get financial backing from the Department of Energy and will continue to actively support this important initiative.”
