How Long Does it Take to Install Solar Panels?

Once you u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/community-solar-companies-you-should-know/u0022u003echoose a solar companyu003c/au003e, one of the first steps in getting your site assessed to ensure it is ready and safe for solar. A professional site assessor from our company will visit your home and examine the roof and other features to make sure they can support a solar system. The three key areas that we look for during a u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/what-happens-during-solar-panel-site-assessment/u0022u003esite assessmentu003c/au003e are: u003cbru003eu003cbru003e1. Your Existing Service Panelu003cbru003e2. Roof Condition and Paperu003cbru003e3. Roof Dimensions, Vent Locations, Shadingu003cbru003eu003cbru003eOur goal is to ensure that your roof can handle the weight of the solar panels and your electrical panel can safely take the amount of energy you want to produce. The experts will also make sure nothing is obstructing your solar panels from getting the maximum amount of sunlight exposure and confirming that we can fit the number of solar panels proposed. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eOn the day of your Site Assessment, a professional assessor will arrive to collect any u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/how-to-get-hoa-approval-on-your-solar-installation/u0022u003eHOAu003c/au003e documents and survey the site, take roof and sunlight measurements, and note any possible repairs or upgrades that need to be made to accommodate your solar system.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eFrom the moment that the contract is signed to scheduling the site visit, it can take roughly one (1) week. 

Using the site assessment data, a team of engineers will verify the designs and adjust the plans to meet local code requirements. A design engineer will then verify and approve the solar building plans to be submitted to the city for permits. We provide full support with all of our customer’s design and engineering needs. By specializing in engineering and design for residential homes, we understand the permit process well. This minimizes the time that the city requires to review the plans and minimizes the chances for corrections to occur. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cimg src=u0022https://formesolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/solar-engineering-permit-setbacks.jpgu0022 alt=u0022fire access pathways and setbacku0022u003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eEvery project is uniquely designed, and every city has specific rules, regulations, and procedures to ensure that your system meets the guidelines set forth by the city. Our engineers’ primary focus is to meet city regulations, and our second priority is to maximize our customers’ return on investment. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eBefore we apply for permits, we will confirm the overall layout with our customers to ensure that the system design correctly matches expectations. A design engineer will then verify and approve the plans to be submitted to the city for permits. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cimg src=u0022https://formesolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/solar-panel-engineering-plans.jpgu0022 alt=u0022solar panel site plan u0022u003e

To u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/how-much-is-solar-panel-installation/u0022u003einstall solar panelsu003c/au003e on your home, you have to get the correct permits, as you would for any construction project. This is especially important because you won’t be able to apply for solar billing without final approval from your city’s Building and Safety Department. Even if you don’t have a permitted service panel, that will need to get permitted in your process to get solar. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eGetting the permit from your city for your Solar Energy System is the longest part of the solar installation process. The permits required to install solar for your home will vary based on your city’s Building and Safety department. In most cases, you will need to obtain a Solar PV Permit and an Electrical Permit. It typically takes 2-4 weeks, and we have seen it even take up to 4 months. With COVID-19, cities have had to change their process and may only accommodate a limited number of in-person appointments. 

Once your permit has been issued, your u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/orange-county-solar-installation-company/u0022u003esolar installation companyu003c/au003e will schedule a date to install the equipment on your roof. The installation itself is typically the quickest step, to most people’s surprise. A typical install will take between 4-6 hours, depending on system size. You only need to be there if access needs to be granted to install equipment in the garage, for example. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDepending on the solar energy system’s size, most home solar panels can be installed in a single day. Our installers arrive with all of the equipment from solar panels, solar inverter, wiring, cables, and racking. The first step for the installation will be to work on the electrical wiring and finishes by installing the solar panels. If your solar energy system is comprised of a lot of solar panels, is on multiple different roof plans, or has a complicated roof, it could be extended over a few days. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDepending on your u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/where-to-start-planning-your-home-solar-system/u0022u003ehome solar systemu003c/au003e and roof’s size, this step can take 1 or 2 days. 

Once installation complete, our team will call the city to arrange for an inspection. A city building inspector will need to visit the site to ensure that the solar panels were installed correctly and city code. This is an essential step since it ensures that the solar energy system was installed correctly, safely, and with the equipment that matches the approved engineering plans. With solar energy, you are essentially installing a power plant on the top of your roof, and so it is vital that the city checks to ensure everything was done correctly and safely.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eSome cities and jurisdictions may require additional inspections beyond the City’s Building and Safety Department. For example, in u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/near-me/san-bernardino/chino-hills/solar-panels/u0022u003eChino Hillsu003c/au003e, California, you will need a Fire Department Inspection before obtaining Final Approval from Chino Hill’s Building and Safety department. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/near-me/san-diego/chula-vista/solar-panelsu0022u003eChula Vistau003c/au003e, California in SDGu0026amp;E territory requires that a final signoff for SDGu0026amp;E requires an inspection request that includes a request to Unlock the Electrical Meter. By failing to request the right inspections can lead to an additional inspection being required.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eOn the day of inspection, a technician will be sent to your property to wait for the inspector and walk them through the install. Corrections can occur, and they must be addressed right away. The inspection stage can vary depending on the time of year and how backlogged the city is for inspections. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDepending on your city’s building and safety department and how quickly the inspector can come, this step can take up to 1 week. If there are any corrections, it could take longer. 

Even after you get your permit fully issued and finalized, you have one last major step to get your solar energy system activated. The final step is to apply with your utility company to switch you over to solar billing. Once the utility company receives the solar billing application with the signed off job card from the city inspection, they will notify you and our installation team of their approval to grant you Permission-to-Operate.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eSolar billing, or more accurately, u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/what-is-solar-net-metering/u0022u003eu003cstrongu003enet energy meteringu003c/strongu003e (u003cstrongu003eNEMu003c/strongu003e)u003c/au003e, is a billing mechanism that allows the owner of a u003cstrongu003eSolaru003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003ePhotovoltaics (PV) Systemu003c/strongu003e to store energy in the electric grid. When your solar panels generate more electricity than what you need, that energy will be sent to the grid in exchange for credits. So even if your solar energy system is on, you won’t be receiving a credit for any excess that you sell back to your utility company until you complete this final step. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDepending on your utility company, this step can take a week to a month. 

Because solar panels are a significant change to your home, your homeowner’s association (HOA) may also want to be notified and require an approval process. 

43% of our customers have required a u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/a-guide-to-main-panel-upgrades/u0022u003emain panel upgradeu003c/au003e from a 125A service panel to a 200A electrical panel. With a service panel, it adds additional steps to going solar and requires an additional electrical permit. A main panel upgrade also requires 2-3 inspections with the city. A pre-lath inspection, a rough inspection, and a final inspection.

Even though your solar energy system is designed to last for 25 years, your roof may not be. Our company’s policy is that if your roof looks like it has less than ten (10) years until it needs repair, we recommend u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/services/roofing/u0022u003eroof repairu003c/au003e. Your roof repair can require a permit, which will further extend your solar installation project’s timeline. 

Any unpermitted structures or an unpermitted main service panel can create substantial delays regarding your solar energy project. To get approval from the city, they require that all of the work done on your home is permitted or the unpermitted work is removed. 

With u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/company/covid-19-update/u0022u003eCOVID-19u003c/au003e and the seasonality of solar, the availability of your solar equipment may be impacted. Specific solar panels, u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/what-is-the-best-inverter-in-2020/u0022u003einvertersu003c/au003e, and key solar components may no longer have stock by the time your installation is scheduled to occur. Specialized parts may need to be ordered if they aren’t in stock. This will add time to your u003ca href=u0022https://formesolar.com/solar-installation-enhancements-you-should-consider/u0022u003esolar energy system's installationu003c/au003e. When trying to use equipment that is different from your original plans, you may need to submit a new set of plans with the city’s Building and Safety department. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cimg src=u0022https://formesolar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/solar-panels-home.jpgu0022 alt=u0022solar panels homeu0022u003e