Gone are the days of standing in the line for hours at the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting office just to submit an application for a PV permit. 

At least for the most part. 

The department is now allowing solar developers and contractors to submit the applications online for residential systems. Permit applications for commercial and multi-family dwellings still must be processed in-person. 

The new feature will dramatically reduce the number of people who line up each day at the Permit Center just for PV permits. The number of PV permits issued by DPP has nearly tripled each of the past three years from 1,298 in fiscal year 2010, to 3,231 in 2011, and 9,096 last year.

 “We are encouraged by the number of residents wanting to be environmentally friendly by installing a PV system, however, the shear number of PV applications has monopolized the resources of the department at the expense of all other types of building permits. Our new application program will allow contractors to apply and receive their residential PV permits online, which will lead to better service and faster turnaround for everyone,” said DPP Director David Tanoue.

The expanded on-line system is available on the DPP website at http://dev.honoluludpp.org and takes just minutes to complete. The department hopes that the ease of obtaining the permit will eliminate the practice of some contractors submitting PV design plans for review that did not reflect what was going to be installed just to obtain a permit to begin installation.  Later, the contractor would submit revised plans showing what was actually installed, which required a second review by staff.