The Town of Danville will now charge all residents the same fee for installing solar panels. The Town Council unanimously approved a resolution last week to have homeowners pay a flat rate of $290 for installing solar cell rays in their homes. Solar panels generate electricity and power when they are exposed to light.
The measure comes after local reports raised concerns of how solar fees appeared to be too high. Council members and town staff said having a flat fee demonstrates Danville’s support for using alternative energy sources.
“The reason was to encourage people to use energy-saving devices in homes,” said Danville Mayor Karen Stepper. “We charge the same fee for everyone.”
“It just speeds up the process of issuing a permit,” said Town Engineer Steve Lake. “To make it easier for everyone, we instituted a flat fee.”
The town’s Building Division has seen an increase in the installation of residential photovoltaic systems in the past three years, according to the staff report. It anticipates that the number of solar panel installations will continue to increase due to the rising costs of conventional energy such as electricity.
The $290 covers the cost of inspection and administrative time to process the solar permit, said Town Attorney Rob Ewing. He added that he has seen an average cost of $40,000-$50,000 to install solar panels.
Under the old system, the town used a graduated scale to determine permit fees based on the price of work for installing solar cells to homes, Lake said. For instance, installing a $5,000 solar ray would cost approximately $200 for a permit fee. And putting in a $25,000 solar cell would cost $300.
The Sierra Club had published reports in July that Danville had charged $850 for solar cell installation. However, staff said the fees fluctuated and depended on the work being done.
Ewing said staff did not know how the Sierra Club came up with the $850 figure in its report. He said the town has not charged that amount for a solar permit fee. Although, that amount could have been given if a question had been asked in a certain way, he said.
Sierra Club Global Warming Chairman Kurt Newick said that volunteers from his group asked dozens of communities in the Bay Area the total cost for installing a 3,000-watt solar electric system on a composite shingle roof on a single story home to get information for its reports on what communities charge for solar panel permits. He acknowledged that some staff members who were questioned did not have the facilities or knowledge to answer the question fully.
“We’re not responsible for how these cities respond,” Newick said.
Lake said the town issues five to 10 permits a year.
“It’s not very common,” he said.
