News release: Colorado Energy Office reopens program to speed up rooftop solar approvals

Grants to automate permitting will help local governments accelerate rooftop solar

DENVER— The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced Thursday that it will reopen its Automated Permit Processing for Solar (APPS) grant program and award $1 million in funding, with Alamosa County and Boulder County receiving the initial round of grants. The APPS initiative is designed to help local and Tribal governments implement automated residential rooftop permitting software. Streamlined solar permitting can reduce the time and cost to “go solar,” benefiting families, local installers and local governments. A number of Colorado jurisdictions, including Denver County, have already successfully adopted automated permitting. 

The just-reopened APPS program will award grants to applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted. Depending on the population of the applicant’s jurisdiction, they can apply for maximum awards between $40,000 and $100,000.

“Automating the process for rooftop solar permits offers tremendous value to Boulder County,” said Ron Flax, Boulder County deputy director of building/chief building official. “Our installers simultaneously work in many jurisdictions across the region – leading to lots of minor yet time-consuming details to manage during the permit process. By streamlining the process, it can save both installers and permitting staff lots of time. We are thrilled to have received APPS funding to help us integrate this program into our permitting process. We encourage other local governments to apply to the program.”

“With SolarAPP+, we recognized an opportunity to support owners who are adding solar panels and energy storage systems to their homes,” said Eric Browning, Denver’s chief building official. “The SolarAPP+ tool allows licensed contractors to obtain approval and instantly pull a ‘quick permit’ without the need for additional design drawings or city plan review. It has provided for more timely installations for Denver residents and also allowed hundreds of hours of city staff time to be focused on more complex projects since we started accepting SolarAPP+ in 2023.”

The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that permitting and related barriers can add up to $6,000-$7,000 to the cost of standard residential systems. The delays associated with the permitting process are also a key reason that households cancel their rooftop solar installations. By simplifying and speeding up their permit approval processes, jurisdictions that take advantage of this opportunity can make their transition to clean energy cheaper and easier for local residents. 

Automated permitting software such as SolarAPP+ or Symbium can help Colorado communities take full advantage of Inflation Reduction Act benefits and long-term clean energy savings. Data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) also shows that nationwide, SolarAPP+ alone saved more than 15,000 hours of local government staff time and accelerated solar permitting by 150,000 total business days in 2023. Symbium reports that its platform saves jurisdictions and contractors approximately three weeks of permitting per project, for approximately 1 million hours saved. 

“By making this technology accessible through grant funding, we’re helping to ensure that more communities can benefit from the efficiencies of automated permitting,” said Mike Kruger, executive director at the Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) Institute. “This not only accelerates solar adoption but also contributes to job creation and economic growth in the solar industry.”

“The APPS program is a step toward making clean energy like rooftop solar more accessible for Colorado families,” said Margaret Kran-Annexstein, Sierra Club Colorado director. “This is a great opportunity for local communities to help meet our climate goals and support residents in transitioning to affordable, clean electricity.” 

“Automated permitting platforms save local and Tribal governments time and money by reducing the need for manual review of standard solar permit requests, allowing staff to focus on more complex or nuanced projects,” said Tanner Simeon-Cox, Colorado director at Solar United Neighbors. “These platforms decrease permitting errors, ensure code compliance, streamline the permitting process and maintain the safety of solar systems.”

“Anything we can do to make it easier and more affordable for Coloradans to go solar just makes sense,” said CoPIRG Foundation Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz. “We’re calling on cities and counties across Colorado to take these steps so more people can plug into the clean, affordable energy our abundant sunshine provides.”

For more information or to sign up for updates, please visit the APPS grant webpage.

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