There's a new superhero in town. His name is Solar Man, and he's here to help the world, but not in the way you might think. To defeat his arch-nemesis, Solar Man reluctantly decides to join the Ultra League of Super Defenders, a band of superheroes that are beyond the law. But will Solar Man be able to show his Super Solar strengths and pass the audition?
True Solar Takeaways
- The U.S. solar industry installs the equivalent of a residential solar installation every 60 seconds.
- All solar projects require some type of local permitting and utility connection ("interconnection") approvals.
- Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) are the catch-all name for the county, city, and utility approval bodies that oversee solar permitting.
- A "PE" is a licensed Professional Engineer. Some AHJs require their review of a solar installation design. Some don't.
- Sadly, there are no national standards or building codes for installing solar on a home, business, or utility-size project. Each county, city, and state has its own special rules, regulations, codes, and official requirements.
- As a result of different permitting codes and standards, solar's installation and interconnection processes can get slowed down. Local differences also increase the costs and time to install solar.
- AHJs and utilities can also be slow to approve projects due to the increasing number of solar projects being installed. AHJ staff need to be updated on the latest solar and battery products and new technologies.
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