Vermont has passed a law that simplifies and standardizes the permitting process for small solar energy systems statewide, a move that could lead to lower installation costs.
In order to connect a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system to the electric grid, homeowners across the country are required to complete the permitting process set up by their local government.
By convention, solar installers handle the associated paperwork. But permitting variations from town to town can nevertheless increase solar installation costs. A recent report by SunRun, for instance, suggests that inconsistent local permitting and inspection processes add about $0.50 for each watt of solar PV installed. In other words, simply harmonizing permitting standards could shave about $2,500 off the cost of installing a residential solar power system. Clearly, we’re not talking chump change.
Vermont lawmakers agree.
Answering the pleas of pro-harmonization groups like SolarTech and VoteSolar, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin last Wednesday signed the Vermont Energy Act of 2011, which (among other things) sets up a standard permitting process for solar PV systems smaller than 5 kilowatts (kW) in size.
“These are the sort of ‘Micro-Policy’ Innovations critical to driving up to $1.00 per watt of red-tape out of the marketplace in the next few years,” Doug Payne, SolarTech’s co-founder and Executive Director told Greentech Media. “We still need to standardize on codes, inspection requirements, and fee structures, but this is clearly a step in the right direction.”
SunRun’s Director of Government Affiars, Ethan Sprague, meanwhile suggested the optimal permitting process for small PV systems “should be more like installing an appliance than re-wiring a house.”
It bears noting that the cut off for the standardized permit is 5 kW, which may prove to be limiting in coming years as the average residential system size in the U.S. continues to increase. Nevertheless, Vermont’s new law represents an important step toward reducing the so-called “soft-costs” associated with going solar — and it proves that a standardized permit-granting process can be implemented across various jurisdictions.
Image credit: AllEarth Renewables
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