Residential Solar Permit Reporting – Senate Bill 379: (SB 379, Wiener, Chapter 356, Statues of 2022)

These Guidelines provide an overview and explain key terms and definitions related to Senate Bill 379 (Wiener, Chapter 356, Statutes of 2022) and the California Energy Commission’s required role in facilitating compliance and reporting pursuant to this bill.

Senate Bill 379 establishes requirements for California cities and counties related to the implementation of an online, automated permitting platform such as SolarAPP+. SolarAPP+ is a web-based portal that automates plan review, produces code-compliant approvals, and allows a jurisdiction to issue permits in real time for residential solar energy systems as well as solar energy systems paired with energy storage. There are reporting requirements based on population size. The bill requires non-exempt cities and counties to report to the Energy Commission annually on the number of permits issued and other relevant permitting metrics.

These guidelines were made available for a thirty-day public comment period from December 8, 2022, to January 9, 2023.