San Diego’s solar permit fees skyrocket
San Diego Solar Permit Fees Increase
The cost of getting a solar plan approved by the city of San Diego has risen from $565 from $93 reflecting a policy change by the city to quit subsidizing solar installations.
efforts to cut carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.
Fees are needed if the industry is to grow, said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.
“The fees, it’s a part of life,” Sanders said. “We wouldn’t have the people up there to process (applications) if we can’t have the fee structure that allows them to support themselves.”
San Diego used to be the third-cheapest place in the county to get a permit for a photovoltaic system, but now it trails only National City — whose fees are $595.
The Sierra Club’s survey found a range of fees statewide, with some Los Angeles-area cities the most expensive at around $1,500.
The city wants to make solar affordable, Sanders said. In a few months, a new program will issue low-cost loans to residents for solar installations. Residents will pay off the loans over 20 years through their property tax bills.
The city has 2,262 solar roofs — more than any other city in the state, according to a July report by the nonprofit group Environment California. The electricity generated is roughly equivalent to the power used by 12,000 homes.
While San Diego raised its solar permit fee last year, Coronado lowered its fee to $268 from $868 by changing the way it was calculated.
“We want to be solar-friendly,” said Coronado’s senior building inspector, Dave Calvani. “We don’t want to have exorbitant fees. At the same time, we want to recover our costs.”
