SolarApp+

SolarApp+ Workflow

1. Installer enters project into SolarApp+ portal.
2. Template auto-checks NEC, ASCE, equipment listings.
3. Pass: permit issued instantly (hours).
4. Fail: returns to installer for correction.
5. AHJ inspects field installation.

AHJ Adoption (2024)

Live in 100+ AHJs nationally. Notable: Phoenix, Tucson, Pleasanton, parts of CA, CO, TX, NC.

What the Template Actually Checks

SolarApp+‘s instant approval only works because the underlying template validates the same items a plan reviewer would check by hand. Structural loading gets screened against ASCE 7-16 wind and snow assumptions for the project’s location, the array and interconnection wiring are checked against NEC 690 requirements, and every module and inverter on the job has to appear on a recognized listed-equipment database — the same UL/IEC certifications that show up on the equipment schedule of a compliant SLD. Standards like IEC 61730 module safety qualification and IEC 62109 inverter safety certification are what that listing check is actually confirming behind the scenes. If any of those checks fail, the project drops out of the automated path and needs manual plan review, which is why clean, code-referenced permit packages matter even for jurisdictions running SolarApp+.

Key Takeaways

• SolarApp+ automates residential solar permits in adopting AHJs.
• NREL-developed, free for AHJs.
• Permit issuance time: weeks → minutes.
• Suitable for standard residential systems only.
• Adoption growing nationally; check NREL directory for your AHJ.

Related Reading

Because SolarApp+ adoption varies AHJ by AHJ, the fastest way to know whether it applies to a given project is to check the jurisdiction-specific rules directly: our NYC Solar Permit Guide and San Diego DSD Solar Permit Guide both cover live SolarApp+ workflows alongside the local AHJ’s other requirements, while the Colorado Solar Permit Guide shows how a Front Range AHJ handles projects that fall outside the automated template. For installers assembling the underlying package — whether or not the local AHJ runs SolarApp+ — How to Submit a Solar Permit Package to an AHJ walks through the checklist a reviewer (automated or human) expects to see, and our solar permit design team builds packages to pass either path cleanly.