Streamlined Process for Solar Panel Installations Announced for East Bay Cities

In a collaborative effort, nine East Bay cities have unveiled a uniform, streamlined process for issuing permits for solar panel installations. The City of San Leandro joined Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, and Richmond in creating the new system. Six of the nine East Bay cities will have over-the-counter permitting while the other three committed to a three- to seven-day turnaround.

In San Leandro, solar permits can be processed over-the-counter with the fee  set at $170.00, well below the East Bay average.

Solar contractors will use a “structural checklist” that includes items such as roof slope and rafter size, to help city code officials assess the structural integrity of the installation. The checklist will remove the need for contractors to bring in structural engineers to review many residential projects, thereby reducing costs. This program is estimated to save contractors and homeowners $850 to $3,500 per solar installation and save time by providing a consistent approach across all nine cities.

This effort was facilitated by the East Bay Green Corridor, a collaboration of these cities which was established to foster a region of green-tech innovation.

For additional information, check out the San Jose Mercury News article here.