GETTING PV SOLAR SOONER

Addressing Institutional Barriers; Opportunities for Streamlining Solar PV Project Timelines
January 27, 2010 (SolarTech and CalSEIA)

"…This paper focuses on proposing methodologies for improving overall project end-to-end cycle times for distributed generation solar PV projects [to benefit City and County Governments, Installers /Integrators, Solar technology consumers and the California solar industry]…

"…City and County Governments would have a high quality, repeatable and highly manageable project delivery process…Installers /Integrators would have a uniform and automated process from permit jurisdictions and would provide a higher level of service to consumers…Solar technology consumers would benefit for the reduced time and possible reduced costs in implementing solar…[and the] California solar industry would benefit from the multiple positive gains due to improved efficiencies…"

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"…As a solar PV system moves from the initial customer request to the final system commissioning, a number of members of the solar market network must interface and complete a chain of steps…In 2009, SolarTech identified the most obstructive steps in the request-thru-commissioning process and identified the various steps between the Institutional Participants and the other members of the solar market network as one of the more significant barriers…

"…[P]olicies, regulations, standards, and business practices of institutions create barriers preventing adoption of distributed generation PV in California…SolarTech and CalSEIA have identified two key areas which create institutional barriers in California: lack of key standards within and across business process interfaces, and long installation cycle times…"

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"Installing a distributed generation (DG) PV system that makes use of a CSI rebate or incentive involves many steps…[T]he overall process time is long compared to the physical time required to actually install the system…[T]he typical 4kW – 5kW basic residential installation will take only 3-5 days onsite, (or ~20kW/week for larger systems). However, the total elapsed project time can be upwards of 100-120 days. The time drivers in these processes are not the person-hours required to complete the tasks, but rather delays within each step and between each step, increases administrative costs and adding risk or uncertainty to revenue, cash flows, and profitability. A few examples…[1] Most applications are written manually…[2] Redundant data requirements…[3] Broad variation in permitting requirements…[4] Uncertain inspection scheduling…

"…Several in the PV industry – primarily system purchasers and contractors – experience the impacts of long cycle times…SolarTech is currently focusing on reducing permitting time in one of several areas…At the national level, the U.S Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Program has a program dedicated to market transformation for solar technologies and has several technical outreach programs aimed towards overcoming knowledge gaps in several institutions, which could help reduce project cycle times. Also at the national level, Solar ABC’s has developed a recommended permit expediting process (as a component of total project cycle times) for small scale systems (less than 15 kW)…"