It may become a little bit easier to go solar in Guilford thanks to some new software. Starting this month, SolarAPP+, an online permitting, will allow residents to apply for and receive permits for basic solar projects and residential solar installations more quickly.

“The SolarAPP+ online permitting tool can make it much easier for us to quickly and safely approve solar projects, while benefiting local taxpayers at the same time,” said First Selectman Matt Hoey.

This month, the town began using the automated permitting tool to instantly approve home solar permit applications that meet local requirements, said Hoey. Offered free to municipalities by the Department of Energy (DOE), building officials in other states using SolarAPP+ described the software as saving time by automatically approving routine home solar permit aplications, according to a statement issued by the town.

SolarAPP+ can be used as a standalone tool or used to streamline the municipality’s existing on-line permitting system.

According to Hoey, the effort to streamline the permit process was motivated by serious concerns about delays in permitting for small solar and energy storage projects; slowing the deployment of clean energy that would reduce pollution, create jobs, and save customers money. In its statement, town officials claimed that solar usage in the United States is forecast to triple in five years, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), in part as a result of the adoption of permit streamlining technologies like SolarAPP+ and passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The IRA Act enacts up to 10 years of investment tax credits (ITC) for solar consumers, said Hoey. A provision that will likely increase the number of applicants for these home solar designs and equipment, according to Connecticut Solar and Storage Association (CONNSA) Executive Director Mike Trahan.

“More home solar installations mean more permits filed with municipal building officials most of whom are for basic home designs unlike thousands of others filed over the past 10 years,” said Trahan in a written statement. “Instant permitting is appropriate for systems that meet individual town requirements. Homeowners get power from their system faster and building officials are not tasked with approving the same solar design multiple times.”

Hoey said that this implementation is a component of the town’s long-range goals of streamlining all permitting and application processes at Town Hall. Hoey noted that this is not the first time Guilford has made the foray into promoting solar technology.

“What we want to do is try and encourage solar use in town. We have multiple units in town with solar energy capabilities, mostly at the schools, and [Building Official] Kimberly [Norman-Rosedam] has embraced that since she started here a couple of years ago. Anything we can do that helps us streamline the permitting process, helps residents ease any aspect of going solar is important for us as a town.”

Hoey added that the town continues to look for ways to make the overall permitting process easier for residents.

“We are getting very close to making it possible for residents to sit at their home or office and right from their desk do all their permitting and filing electronically. We’re probably six months or so away from that, but we are absolutely committed to making this easier for residents,” Hoey said. “Basically, this is forcing us to take a look at all the permits we have in place; What do we need? What can we streamline? How can we make it easier to get through the process? It takes a while and it takes a significant amount of staff time, but ultimately this is all being done to simply make it easier.”