Permit Woes
It just gets worse.
I received a letter from the township in yesterday’s mail. Our permits are on hold for the following problems:
Building
“You must obtain a prior approval from the Planning Department for the solar panels on the roof.”
This is a screw-up by my installer. I told him back in January that our township was very tough on everything, and I’m 90% sure that I suggested to him that he call them to find out whether or not there are local requirements. He didn’t, assuming that the process would be like other local municipalities. His ego (“I do all of the time – I know what needs to be done.”) is gonna cost us more time.
Electrical
“Fill out Electrical Permit completely.”
OK, minor problem – must have missed a box.
“No transfer switch shown on drawing.”
This is the electrical official’s inexperience with PV solar systems. There is NO transfer switch – the whole point of being grid-connected is that both systems interoperate. My installer is clearly going to have to teach this official about solar. I’m the third system in town (that I know of – the first having been installed by my installer) and I think I may be the first that is completely grid-connected with no batteries involved.
“GFI protection not shown.”
OK, no biggie here either. The inverters have GFI protection built in, so my installer will just have to show/copy the inverter specs.
Overall, I still think that this shows poor planning by my installer. Rather than make one phone call or even a visit to the township inspections department asking what he needed to do, he went forward assuming that jobs are just like the township that he lives in. This is costing us time and therefore money in savings on our bill. It’s fundamentals of project management – “make the plan, check the plan, check it again, do the plan”.
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