Pima County has launched an online calculator to streamline the permitting process for solar-energy installations.
The calculator, available on the county Department of Development Services website, allows applicants to enter data on planned photovoltaic installations in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet laid out in a standard system design.
The online form details county building-code requirements for each component, allowing users to check structural and electrical loads, ratings and sizes of equipment, devices, conductors and conduits for compliance. The completed spreadsheet can be printed out and submitted with permit applications.
The calculator comes in two types — one for systems with standard DC-to-AC power inverters and one for those with so-called micro inverters, which convert power from individual panels rather than strings of panels.
People are also reading…
The tool — which the county says is the first of its kind — was created to to address inconsistencies and errors in applications for solar permits, said Yves Khawam, the county’s chief building official in the Development Services Department.
The new online tool is expected to limit permitting and processing costs to a maximum of $150 per residential installation, just six percent of the national average, Khawam said, adding that applicants can save more by submitting permit applications online.
To get to the solar calculators, go to the Development Services website www.dsd.pima.gov/building and look under “Forms & Calculators.”