In a move meant to hasten the adoption of residential solar projects in San Diego, the city has officially launched an instant permit program, aimed at significantly reducing the time for residents to apply and obtain permits for home solar and battery storage systems.
This approach is a direct response to Senate Bill 379, otherwise known as the Solar Access Act, which mandates that most municipalities adopt SolarAPP+, an automated online permitting platform for standard solar and storage systems by September 30. According to the Times of San Diego, prior to this change, applications for solar projects would typically take an average of seven to ten days to process, a notably slower pace than what the new instant permit program now offers.
Eligible projects include the installation of solar photovoltaic or battery storage units smaller than 38.4 kilowatts for single-family homes and duplexes. Alongside simplifying the application process, the instant permit program also builds on San Diego's existing "No-Plan Building Permit" initiative, which has expanded to cover kitchen and bathroom remodels as well as door and window replacements, Fox 5 San Diego revealed.
By streamlining and automating the permitting process for residential solar projects, San Diego is working towards faster approval times and greater efficiency within its Development Services Department (DSD). As the director of DSD, Elyse Lowe, said in a statement, the instant permit program will "save customers time and increase staff productivity overall," the Times of San Diego reports.
Mayor Todd Gloria is enthusiastic about the solar-friendly approach, stating in the Fox 5 article, “This is just the latest in a series of moves we’re making to streamline our permitting process so we can get things done faster...More and more San Diegans are wanting to put rooftop solar on their homes, and I’m thrilled that the City of San Diego is now helping them accomplish this by granting them instant permit approval for installation,”
Typically, San Diego's DSD processes approximately 12,000 applications for photovoltaic permits each year. With the introduction of the instant permit program, San Diego is aiming to make it simpler for residents to participate in the city's drive towards carbon neutrality. Furthermore, this accelerates San Diego's progress towards achieving its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.
In addition to boosting the transition to green energy, San Diego's instant permit program also exemplifies an innovative approach to tackling bureaucratic hurdles, as it allows self-certification for meeting building codes, standards, and ordinances. The Times of San Diego says this allows the instant permit process to bypasses city review, giving eligible homeowners more autonomy in their pursuit of solar and battery installations while transforming the competitive landscape of solar adoption in San Diego.
More information about the instant permit program and eligibility criteria can be found on the city’s Development Services Department website.
