What SolarAPP+ is
SolarAPP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing) is an online permitting tool built by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with industry and code partners. A contractor enters a residential solar project, the software checks it against the adopted codes, and if it passes, the jurisdiction issues the permit instantly instead of sending the plans through days of manual review.
It is free for jurisdictions to adopt, and it is now administered with UL Solutions under the non-profit SolarAPP+ Foundation.
How it works for an installer
- Create an account on the jurisdiction’s SolarAPP+ instance and add your contractor licence.
- Enter the system: the address, the service panel, the modules, inverters and any battery, the racking and the point of connection.
- Fix anything it flags. The compliance checks run as you go and return corrections immediately, so a missing value or an over-limit busbar is caught before submittal.
- Get the permit. An eligible project is approved on the spot and the permit is issued.
- Inspect against the checklist. SolarAPP+ produces a project-specific inspection checklist, so the inspector and the crew work from the same list.
Projects that fall outside what SolarAPP+ can approve automatically go through the jurisdiction’s normal plan review, with a full plan set.
What it covers
SolarAPP+ handles residential rooftop PV and solar-plus-storage. Coverage is set jurisdiction by jurisdiction. Of the 474 jurisdictions listed in NREL’s SolarTRACE data (September 2025 release):
- 454 accept PV plus storage
- 377 accept a main panel upgrade in the same permit
- 323 accept a main breaker derate
If a project needs something the local instance doesn’t cover, it goes to standard review.
Where it’s available
SolarTRACE lists 474 jurisdictions on SolarAPP+ across 18 states. California and Colorado account for most of them. In Colorado, 131 of the listings are state-level electrical and building permits.
| State | Jurisdictions on SolarAPP+ |
|---|---|
| California | 289 |
| Colorado | 137 |
| Minnesota | 14 |
| Arizona | 7 |
| Maryland | 7 |
| Virginia | 4 |
| Texas | 4 |
| Connecticut | 2 |
| Ohio | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Florida | 1 |
| Arkansas | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
Why California has so many
California’s Solar Access Act (SB 379) requires most cities and counties to adopt an automated, real-time permitting platform for residential solar and storage. Jurisdictions over 50,000 people had until September 30, 2023; smaller ones until September 30, 2024. Cities under 5,000 people and counties under 150,000 (and the cities within them) are exempt.
Jurisdiction pages with SolarAPP+
Apple Valley, CA · Calimesa, CA · Carlsbad, CA · Cathedral City, CA · Chino Hills, CA · Chula Vista, CA · Coronado, CA · Denver city & County, CO · Desert Hot Springs, CA · East Hartford, CT · El Cajon, CA · Escondido, CA · Fontana, CA · Fullerton, CA · Gaithersburg, MD · Gardena, CA · Goodyear, AZ · Highland, CA · Kern County, CA · Laguna Niguel, CA · Lynwood, CA · Menifee, CA · Montgomery County, MD · Moreno Valley, CA · Murrieta, CA · Norco, CA · Oceanside, CA · Palm Desert, CA · Palmdale, CA · Phoenix, AZ · Pima County, AZ · Prince William County, VA · Rancho Cucamonga, CA · Riverside County, CA · Riverside, CA · Rockville, MD · Salisbury, MD · San Bernardino County, CA · Tempe, AZ · Tucson, AZ · Wheat Ridge, CO · Worcester County, MD
See every jurisdiction we cover on the solar permit requirements index.
What it saves
NREL’s review of 2023 found SolarAPP+ saved permitting departments about 15,400 hours of staff time and removed more than 150,000 business days of permitting delay for installers. Pima County, Arizona reported a 50% drop in the solar permits its staff had to touch.
Where Ballast Solar fits
SolarAPP+ replaces plan review, not the design. You still need the equipment, the service values and the point of connection right, and many jurisdictions still want a site plan and line diagram on file; the utility wants its own interconnection application.
Ballast Solar builds the design, runs the same code checks (including the 120% rule) and has the SolarAPP+ application data ready to copy across. When a project isn’t eligible, the full plan set is already built for standard review.
Questions
Is SolarAPP+ free?
It is free for jurisdictions to adopt. Some jurisdictions charge contractors their normal permit fee or a platform fee; check the local SolarAPP+ page.
Does SolarAPP+ approve battery storage?
Yes, in most places that use it: 454 of the 474 jurisdictions in NREL’s SolarTRACE data accept PV plus storage through SolarAPP+.
Which states use SolarAPP+?
SolarTRACE lists SolarAPP+ jurisdictions in 18 states, led by California (289) and Colorado (137), followed by Minnesota (14), Arizona (7) and Maryland (7).
Is SolarAPP+ required in California?
Most California cities and counties must offer an automated solar permitting platform under SB 379. Cities under 5,000 people and counties under 150,000 are exempt.
Do I still need a plan set with SolarAPP+?
You still need a correct design, and many jurisdictions and utilities still want drawings on file. Projects SolarAPP+ can’t approve automatically go through normal plan review with a full plan set.
This guide explains the code for planning purposes. The adopted edition, local amendments and the AHJ’s interpretation govern; the contractor of record is responsible for the design.