A change in the city of Naperville’s permitting process could make it easier for residents seeking permission to install solar panels on their property.
City Council members Wednesday will consider approving a single permit process for residential solar installations. The city’s current process requires two separate permits — one for building and the other for electrical.
According to city documents, the new streamlined permit would capture the same information collected from the two permits and get rid of duplication. The single permit would make inspection more efficient as well.
If approved, the permit would cost $132 and would include clerical review, plan review and inspection.
Making the permitting process easier for residential solar panels contributes to Naperville’s pursuit of a national SolSmart designation and its objectives to advance renewable energy, enact policies that support clean energy and engage community members in the 2010 Naperville Sustainability Plan’s clean energy practices, according to city documents.
Making it less cumbersome also aligns with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ Greenest Regional Compact, which Naperville joined two years ago.
The change reduces the cost as well, city documents said. Naperville in 2018 collected about $3,000 from residential photovoltaic — or solar — permit applications.
The city of Naperville in January announced more than 3,500 solar panels will be installed at the Springbrook Water Reclamation Center this summer. The panels could generate more than 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually — enough to power 145 homes a year.
Solar panels were also recently installed on the roof of the Naperville Municipal Center. The panels will power the WiFi-equipped Naperville Jaycees Smart Park, which is under construction at a site between the municipal center and the DuPage River.
Municipal center solar panels can also be used as a revenue-producing element for the city since they are expected to produce more electricity than the park consumes. The city plans to sell excess energy back to the grid.
