Timelines to Expect for a Home Solar Installation
Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s on your solar contract is just the beginning of your home solar installation process. One of the first and most immediate questions is: how long until I can start producing my own energy and saving money?
The answer is around eight weeks.
However, the planning process and logistics for a home solar installation are considerable. Each home is different, and each installation will have its own timeline. Some homes might be more challenging than others for myriad reasons.
Let’s dive into what impacts the installation timeline and why some homes might be more challenging. So, you know what to be on the lookout for as you plan your solar journey.
A ‘Normal’ Home Solar Installation Timeline
Let’s start by looking at an average home solar installation timeline.
Day 1: Contract Signing – The Buyer and Installer sign the contract, agreeing to the system size, price, and scope of work.
Week 1: Site Assessment – The Installer does a detailed assessment of your home. This information is needed to ensure the engineering plan set is correctly designed.
Week 2: Permit Submission – The engineering planset has been developed, signed off by a licensed engineer, and submitted to the local building code jurisdiction.
Week 4: Permit Approved – The local building code jurisdiction has approved and issued the permit. The project is ready to go forward.
Week 5: Materials Delivered – The major materials are delivered at the job site for the project.
Week 6: Installation and Inspection – The installer conducts the system installation. Once that is complete, the inspections are called in by the local building code jurisdiction office. Inspections are usually conducted within one day of being scheduled.
Week 8: Permission to Operate – The utility company has signed off on the installation, switched over the meter to measure your solar production, and enabled your NET metering system.
This is an example of a standard timeline from the day you sign your contract to project completion. It’s not uncommon for some of these steps to occur even faster than what is laid out here. Let’s look at what can impact and change this timeline.
Risks for Delays
Every project we undertake is unique to the house, the customer, and the installation process. No two houses are alike, so knowing what could impact your home’s solar installation is essential. Here are circumstances that might influence your installation’s timeline.
Complicated Design or System: An additional complication is that the system’s design can add time to filing the permit. Special utility hookups and long or underground wire runs can add time to completing the plan set.
Permit Rejections: While uncommon, permit plan rejections can happen depending on the code requirements of that local building code enforcement office. Each one is different and has different rules. It can add a layer of complication depending on the specifics of the system. The good news is that if a revision to the plans is needed, the permitting office is set up to review revisions within 24 hours after resubmission.
Customer Payments: This only applies to cash contracts since, in financed contracts, the installer is not paid until the installation is complete. For cash contracts, milestone payments are associated with the timeline above. The installer will not move on to the next step until the payment milestone is fulfilled. If the customer is delayed in getting the payment issued, it can cause a delay in the overall project timeline.
Material Sourcing: This would only apply if your system design had added layers of complication and special materials needed to be ordered. These situations should be addressed during the proposal stage of the project. Still, exceptional cases exist where a unique item is no longer available. Material for a typical solar installation is readily available from different distribution sources. It should not be a cause for delay.
Failed inspection: These situations can occur, but a solar installer should be able to correct the failure within 24 hours and reissue the inspection. If a failed inspection does happen, it should not be a significant delay. If your installation has repeated failures, that would be a cause for concern. It indicates that the solar installer does not understand or address the inspection failure and is not sending the right people to correct it.
Utility Companies Permission: This one is always the biggest unknown. Most utility companies do a great job signing off on your installation within two weeks. Still, there have been instances where it can be unreasonably delayed. While rare, the most frustrating part in these situations is getting information from the utility company on what is taking so long. You may never know, but some reasons include personnel limitations or a shortage of bi-directional meters to install.
Planning for Success
We work hard to build smooth processes that minimize any factors that impact an installation timeline and communicate with our clients. We want you to have an accurate, high-level view before and during your installation. The goal is for there to be no surprises even when there are unexpected occurrences. Understanding how home solar installation projects proceed and each step is critical to building trust between the Buyer and Installer.
