1. December 16, 2014 Solar Permitting Made Simple, Safe & Standard Gary Nordeen, WSU Energy Program Mia Devine, NWSEED Paul Andersson, City of Bellevue

2. Research and consulting services for Washington local governments at no direct cost. Legal and policy consultation Research support Training Opportunities ABOUT MRSC Sample document library Online research tools Timely news and information MRSC.org

3. WEBINAR TECHNICAL NOTES During the webinar: Technical Difficulties: Call (206) 625-1300. To expand or collapse your toolbar, click on the arrow. To submit a question or comment: Maximize the “Questions” portion, type your message, and click the “Send” button. To submit a question or comment: Contact patti.miller-crowley@commerce.wa.gov or 360.725.3122patti.miller-crowley@commerce.wa.gov The recorded webinar will be posted on www.mrsc.org After the webinar:

4. 1.Background on NW Solar Communities and how permitting plays in 2.Overview of change to IRC Section M2302 3.Solar permitting best practices & resources 4.Bellevue’s work to support solar 5.Questions / Feedback WEBCAST AGENDA

5. THE BIG PICTURE

6. ROOFTOP SOLAR PV SYSTEMS 101 What is a solar rooftop solar PV system? o A system that converts solar radiation (sunlight) into usable direct current (DC) electricity A system will include o Solar modules o Invertor(s) to change direct current to alternating current o Attachment hardware

7. Inconsistent and unclear processes lead installers to pass unnecessary costs along to customers Nationally, 1/3 of the surveyed installers said they avoid operating in at least 3 jurisdictions due to their onerous permitting requirements Potential savings for a typical residential system: IMPACTS AND BENEFITS OF IMPROVEMENTS $1,000 to $2,500 30 days Source: NREL Technical Report TP-6A20-60412 Provide a streamlined permit process for PV systems that is simple, fast, and cost effective for permit applicants and jurisdictions, while ensuring system safety.

8. PERMITTING WORK GROUP MEMBERS City of Edmonds City of Seattle City of Bellevue City of Kirkland City of Portland City of Hillsboro City of Eugene Clackamas County Lake County Solar Washington Sustainable Connections Washington State University Energy Program WA Department of Commerce Solar Oregon Energy Trust of Oregon Oregon Building Codes Division Oregon Department of Energy Permitting Work Group Facilitator: NWSEED

9. ① Researched national best practices ② Documented the current permitting ③ Modified national templates for local use ④ Created a consistent permitting process (building and electrical) for standard systems ⑤ Implemented locally, supported statewide adoption PERMITTING WORK GROUP TASKS COMPLETED TO DATE

10.  Goal: Make solar energy cost-competitive without subsidy by 2020 RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOP SOLAR PV SYSTEMS Installation of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic systems just got easier and less expensive!

11. WHAT HAS CHANGED TO MAKE INSTALLATIONS EASIER? The SBCC approved a change to IRC Section M2302 effective July 1, 2014 This change allows the installation of residential rooftop solar systems meeting specific criteria without the need for an engineering analysis. Engineering costs can add an additional cost of $500 - $2500+ Additional project wait times could be up to 8 weeks

12. WHAT EXEMPTS A PV SYSTEM FROM ENGINEERING? The solar photovoltaic panel system shall be designed for the wind speed of the local area, and shall be installed per the manufacturer's specifications. The ground snow load does not exceed 70 pounds per square foot

13. WHAT EXEMPTS A PV SYSTEM FROM ENGINEERING? Photovoltaic modules are not mounted higher than 18 inches above the surface of the roofing to which they are affixed.

14. WHAT EXEMPTS A PV SYSTEM FROM ENGINEERING? Supports for solar modules are to be installed to spread the dead load across as many roof framing members as needed, so that no point load exceeds 50 pounds.

15. No. However: o Some jurisdictions have chosen to exempt solar PV projects from building permits or now use simple over-the-counter permits; o An electrical permit issued by the jurisdiction or from L&I is still required; and o Fire code requirements must be met DOES THIS RULE EXEMPT PV FROM PERMITS?

16. www.nwsolarcommunities.org PERMITTING RESOURCES

17. TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTING CODE CHANGE Over-the-Counter Permit Checklists Standard Diagrams Info Sheet

18. Adopt a permit checklist for solar installations Establish reasonable building permit fees Provide solar permit information online Train permit staff in solar applications Implement online or e-permitting system Coordinate with utility OTHER BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT SOLAR

19. BELLEVUE’S ACTIONS Adopted an expedited permit process, waiving permits for certain standard systems through ordinance adoption Offer online permitting through MyBuildingPermit.com Created city webpage dedicated to rooftop solar permitting (www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/solar_photovoltaic_systems_permitting.htm)www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/solar_photovoltaic_systems_permitting.htm Trained and knowledgeable review and inspection staff Goal : Assist citizens interested in solar and cutting their carbon footprint through a permitting process that is predictable, efficient and understandable to the people who use it.

20. TESTING THE SYSTEM WITH SOLARIZE

21. 6 workshops, 300+ participants Initial goal of 25 new installations & 100 kW 40 systems now under contract - 232 kW 14 systems now installed (77 kW) 4.6 year payback quoted by contractor SOLARIZE BELLEVUE SUCCESS www.greenWA.org

22. “Things were extremely easy after being vetted for the first couple of jobs. …we go in with about 3-4 permit packages at a time and pull them all over-the-counter, paying for them by check while there… I also like the fact that each permit is $312 for a residential PV system and not based on some sliding scale. [the single-line layout template should accommodate] micro- inverter systems and AC modules systems, for example, that Bellevue hasn’t started using yet. All in all, I think working with CoB is extremely easy and, though there are improvements that could be made, you’re head and shoulders above the rest of the jurisdictions we work with.” INSTALLER FEEDBACK

23. NEW SOLAR AROUND BELLEVUE

24. SOLARIZE BELLEVUE COMMUNITY AWARD

25. Made in Washington! Fast Facts: 13 X Itek 270-watt modules, made in Bellingham 1 X Itek Theia 2.9kW micro- inverters, made in Bellingham Custom racking system by Sunmodo, engineered in Vancouver, WA 3.51 kWDC SOLARIZE BELLEVUE COMMUNITY AWARD

26. QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK

27. Feel free to contact us directly for more information: Mia Devine mia@nwseed.orgmia@nwseed.org Gary Nordeen NordeenG@energy.wsu.eduNordeenG@energy.wsu.edu Paul Andersson Pandersson@bellevuewa.govPandersson@bellevuewa.gov Patti Miller-Crowley patti.miller-crowley@commerce.wa.govpatti.miller-crowley@commerce.wa.gov www.nwsolarcommunities.org THANK YOU!