County Piloting ‘SolarAPP+’ Platform to Instantly Approve Solar Permits for Residents 

Montgomery County wants to help residents get solar panels installed faster and the jurisdiction is joining a pilot to meet that goal.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm joined Councilmember Will Jawando, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and homeowner Laura Morales at Morales’ Silver Spring residence to announce the county will pilot ‘SolarAPP+.’ The online platform lets local governments approve residential solar panel permits in one day.

“It’s instant,” Granholm said. Jawando said it used to take weeks for residents to receive approval and the county has been able to bring that down to 8-9 days.

Granholm said the initiative will help the nation reach President Joe Biden’s goal of having 100% clean electricity by 2035.

Morales had solar panels installed in 2018. She saves $50-60 per month and receives roughly $200 every three months through a tax credit. She encourages residents who are considering installing panels to “go for it.”

So proud that Montgomery County can serve as a model for solar energy development across America.

Thanks to my law school classmate and pal @SecGranholm for stopping by Silver Spring! https://t.co/KRzwp1gKtu

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) July 22, 2021

folks, it's #HotGridSummer https://t.co/SbpVtQYqF7

— Charisma Troiano (@ENERGYSpox) July 22, 2021

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

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