Streamlining Permitting Timelines for Residential Rooftop Solar

Permitting, Inspection, and Interconnection (PII) processes, timelines, and related costs vary across the 3,000 utilities nationwide. This variation can increase photovoltaic (PV) and prices, while increasing customer cancellation rates exceeding 10% of sales in some service territories. 

Despite efforts to streamline PII processes, data-driven baselining of existing processes, timelines, and related cancellations are unknown. This project uses system-level data from 769,000 residential solar and storage systems to identify median PII cycle times, the impact of certain requirements on overall install timelines, and best practices. 

This presentation will showcase the results of this analysis, including data visualizations of PII processes impacts on cycle times and cancellation rates for both solar and solar and storage projects nationwide. NREL will then highlight a set of best practices elucidated from the data that can help utilities and local governments to more efficiently interconnect systems. 

Takeaways

1. Document how interconnection cycle times and related requirements vary nationwide. 

2. Identify three to five pathways to streamline these review processes.

3. Understand how to use the Solar TRACE tool