Solar Interconnection Delays Cost California PV Owners .7 Million in Four Years
A new study by Complete Solar is shedding light on how much money California solar customers are losing to lengthy grid interconnection approval delays caused by utilities. According to the study, Permission to Operate (PTO) delays are costing the average residential solar customer in California $4.02 per day – adding up to a grand total in excess of $4.7 million over the last four years.
Data for the study was gathered from 1500 residential solar installations throughout the state and tracked from 2010 to 2015. The study ranks California utilities based on their average speed of interconnection approval. It found the Sacramento Municipal Utilities Department was the only utility with zero wait time, frequently issuing same-day interconnection approvals. Palo Alto Utility came in a close second, taking on average one day. Alameda Municipal Power, which ranked third in the study, averaged a total of 11 days.
