What is happening
What is the problem?
Prince William County is the worst permitting jurisdiction for residential solar installations in all of Virginia. As a consequence, consumers and taxpayers are paying the price. With higher costs and fewer installer choices, these barriers are making it harder for people to go solar. The system is broken and reforms are needed to ensure everyone has access to solar.
Why this hurts our solar consumers
Hidden costs and delays are causing solar customers and installers to walk away from the benefits of solar power. Prince William County charges the highest fees and has the longest wait times in the Commonwealth. The current processes are so difficult that reputable installers are choosing to take their business elsewhere. Companies are being forced to spend much more time and money in Prince William County than other counties in the state. This process is delaying solar projects, driving up the cost for consumers, and reducing healthy market competition.
Tell local bureaucrats to cut the red tape
Prince William County officials should take a more pragmatic approach to address the growing demand for rooftop solar. There are efficient and cost-effective alternatives that have already proven to streamline the solar permitting process, ensure consumer safety and reduce overall costs for consumers and taxpayers. For example, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) developed SolarAPP+. It is free and has proven to be a valuable tool for jurisdictions and has expedited permitting processes across the nation.
Urge the county supervisor to end high solar fees and streamline the solar permitting process
Resources
- Virginia county struggles to streamline difficult solar permitting process – Energy News Network
- SolarAPP+ — the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) created this permitting software that is provided for free to local jurisdictions to streamline local solar permitting.
- Solar TRACE — the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) created this database of permitting costs and time to get permits for jurisdictions across the US. You can compare your County to others nearby or in other states. See image below from Solar TRACE comparing solar permitting times in Prince William to other nearby counties.
What you can do
Contact Prince William County Supervisors
