The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services has launched “eSolar,” an automated application designed to streamline the permit process for rooftop solar systems. The program is limited to licensed contractors and residential buildings.
Montgomery County requires two permits for residential rooftops: a building permit for attaching solar panels and an electrical permit for connecting panels to the home’s electrical service. eSolar combines app-approved third-party certified documents from Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus with the Department of Permiting Services’ electronic plan review system.
“During the last five years, DPS has issued more than 5,600 solar permits for residential rooftops,” DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan said in a press release. “Those numbers are expected to increase dramatically now that we have officially launched eSolar with faster permit review and issuance.”
Montgomery County is the first county in Maryland to implement a third-party review system to accelerate the permit process for residential rooftop solar. Instead of permits waiting in a queue for approval, eSolar will automatically review applications to reduce delays and expedite the process.
“This will save time, and less waiting leads to more solar on rooftops and a greener Montgomery County,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in a press release. “Montgomery County is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and encourages everyone to invest in renewable and sustainable energy sources. eSolar is a win for Montgomery County homeowners who plan to add solar panels to their residential rooftops.”
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
