The bill, called the Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, was passed by California’s Legislature last week [with only 2 dissenting votes]. If the governor signs the bill into law — he has until September 30 to do so — it will create an “expedited, streamlined permitting and inspection process for residential rooftop solar,” and according to the LA Times, could end up saving residents who install rooftop solar up to $1,000. The savings estimation comes from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which has studied how more efficient permitting procedures can affect residents who are installing rooftop solar.
“Our research –- past and current –- shows that savings of up to $1,000 are plausible for a typically sized residential [solar panel] system,” Ryan Wiser, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told the LA Times.
The bill was introduced by California State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D) after he found out from officials at Verengo Solar last year that the permitting process is slowing down solar installations in some parts of California. Muratsuchi said the officials told him that 64 out of the 65 days it often takes to install residential solar panels are spent “wading through the local bureaucracy to get the necessary permits and approvals.” His bill aims to speed that process up, and will also ban homeowners associations from adopting policies that increase the cost of residential solar systems by more than $1,000.
The bill comes as other states’ efforts to impose solar fees on customers spark outrage from residents. In Utah, Rocky Mountain Power proposed a policy earlier this year that would charge residential solar customers an extra $4.25 a month, but residents have been quick to voice their opposition to the fee. Arizona’s main energy regulator, too, voted to add a $5 per month fee to its solar customers. The fee may not sound like much, but in the first quarter of 2014, solar applications in the area covered by the state’s largest utility fell by 40 percent compared to the same time in 2013.
New Bill Could Make Residential Solar in California a Lot Cheaper
No comments:
Post a Comment