San Diego area install time

[randomuser]

My solar system has been installed and turned on. I didn't see many topics on how long it takes to get a system installed before my install started. Below is a timeline for reference for my install in the city of Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego. My installer says that county permitting in unincorporated cities takes only a day or two. Chula Vista is 2-3 weeks, which is what mine took. He said his experience is that Poway is the slowest.


3/18 Signed contract
3/21 Permit request created
3/22 Permit submitted to city
4/7 City requires permit modification
4/15 Permit approved by city
4/16-20 Installation
4/21 City inspects and approves project
4/22 SDG&E received city approval
4/27 SDG&E permission to turn on system

[Jason L]

Pretty Par-for-the-course looks like.

[J.P.M.]

Mine took ~ 8 weeks. FWIW, As part of contract negotiations, I put a clause in my contract for an on or before completion date, separate from POCO PTO. If the vendor missed it, they picked up my bill until the system ran. They beat the date by 2 days.

[randomuser]

One of my 3 finalists also said to just make a single payment after SDG&E gives the OK. I was sort of surprised. I don't know how many companies provide that as an option? I looked at about a dozen companies for quotes but when it came down to asking for a contract, I got them from 3 companies.

[J.P.M.]

One of my 3 finalists also said to just make a single payment after SDG&E gives the OK. I was sort of surprised. I don't know how many companies provide that as an option? I looked at about a dozen companies for quotes but when it came down to asking for a contract, I got them from 3 companies.

Which does little to light a fire under the vendor to complete the work in the first place. I wanted the work done right and done ASAP per the contract. That's the vendor's prime responsibility. My SDG & E signoff arrived 10 days after the county inspection, which happened about 4 days after system completion and testing, although I must add that it also arrived 2 days after I called and politely, but firmly and professionally asked where it was.

The county and SDG & E don't seem a problem around here, at least not so far in my experience and those of about 90+ or so of my neighbors .

Making the electricity bill responsibility part of the contract through the negotiating process worked for me. Seems to me a quality vendor wouldn't have a problem with some responsibility for meeting the consequences of a missed completion date, provided such a clause is fair and fairly negotiated to exclude such things as, for example, defined unavoidable delays not caused by the vendor., etc. I suppose a contract bonus for early completion might also be possible. I offered that with some trepidation, fearing haste makes waste and costs quality, but fortunately the vendor declined my offer.

[NYHeel]

5.5 weeks is pretty quick. I'm at 4 weeks since contract signing and am probably at least 2-4 weeks from even getting initial approval from the state to begin work. It's a 3-4 months process here in New Jersey and that's down from the 5-6 months it was last year. It's just frustrating missing the prime solar season of May and June.

[nomadh]

Im under county jurisdiction here in San Diego. I'm sort of running as my own general contractor. So far I had plans drawn last week tue or wed. Plans guy had them approved thurs. Ordered parts thurs had them delivered fri. Installed on sat morn. Had placard made mon. Installed tue and found out I'm missing other plaques. Tue added plaque picture to my sdge NEM and sent it in for fast track processing. Wed called planning dept to check that other labels can be stickers. Installed stickers and called for final inspection wed afternoon. Inspection is today. I'm shooting for 2 weeks. Typical that the job takes a half a day and bureaucracy take the other13 days. If you're lucky.
Wish me luck.

So assuming my inspection clears today how long before SDGE says I'm clear to turn on? How does sdge know I passed inspection? Could it happen where sdge says ok while the county says I failed inspection? SDGE never asked for proof of passing just the placard.

[sensij]

So assuming my inspection clears today how long before SDGE says I'm clear to turn on? How does sdge know I passed inspection? Could it happen where sdge says ok while the county says I failed inspection? SDGE never asked for proof of passing just the placard.

SDG&E will get notification from the county when you pass inspection. They will not give PTO without it. PTO should take about a week. For me, they actually took a look at my install (drive by?), and had me add more labeling even though the city had already signed off on it. I emailed pictures showing the corrections, and they gave PTO the same day.

SDG&E's net metering department was helpful for me a year ago. If after a week you haven't heard anything, you might want to give them a call and see if there is anything holding up approval.

[J.P.M.]

Im under county jurisdiction here in San Diego. I'm sort of running as my own general contractor. So far I had plans drawn last week tue or wed. Plans guy had them approved thurs. Ordered parts thurs had them delivered fri. Installed on sat morn. Had placard made mon. Installed tue and found out I'm missing other plaques. Tue added plaque picture to my sdge NEM and sent it in for fast track processing. Wed called planning dept to check that other labels can be stickers. Installed stickers and called for final inspection wed afternoon. Inspection is today. I'm shooting for 2 weeks. Typical that the job takes a half a day and bureaucracy take the other13 days. If you're lucky.
Wish me luck.

So assuming my inspection clears today how long before SDGE says I'm clear to turn on? How does sdge know I passed inspection? Could it happen where sdge says ok while the county says I failed inspection? SDGE never asked for proof of passing just the placard.

Wait for the official, written SDG & E approval. If nothing shows up in 3-5 days, call them and politely enquire as to status. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, the rude customer goes to the bottom of the stack. Four days after county signoff my PTO hadn't arrived. Perhaps coincidentally, it showed up next day after I called.

[ncs55]

Wait for the official, written SDG & E approval. If nothing shows up in 3-5 days, call them and politely enquire as to status. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, the rude customer goes to the bottom of the stack. Four days after county signoff my PTO hadn't arrived. Perhaps coincidentally, it showed up next day after I called.

Use the fast track system and submit the required information to SDG&E before you submit your permit. They want a picture of the transformer powering your home or the pole number that it is on, a picture of your smart meter close-up, and a picture of the map placard attached to your main and a copy of your single line drawing with some additional paperwork. They will send you an email a day or two after final inspection granting access to energize your system.
One thing about Poway in my and others experiences with them. First the people at the Poway office are awesome. But, They use a company called Esgil for their plan check and permit approval. every City that uses this company will be very slow. If you are installing a hybrid system, plan on at least a few months to get through. They are ten days for each check from submittal , they will stop looking at your permit at the first correction they find and send you a notice. when you fix your paperwork to comply and resubmit, then another ten day wait, if they find another issue, they repeat this process until they pass your permit package. They are the only entity that processes permits this way, it is very lengthy and every other plan check department in the San Diego area will completely review your plans before sending you a correction list.

[randomuser]

My installer submitted for the SDG&E fast track the same time the permit was submitted to the city for review. I received an email from SDG&E right away, saying they're awaiting the approval from the city, so they could perform their inspection. The day after the city approved the solar install, I received the next email from SDG&E stating they received the approval from the city and the 14 day PTO expectation. This was on a Friday. The following Wednesday, I received my NEM email approval from SDG&E.

[nomadh]

Just wanted to update after geting some good advice here

I was under the gun to get nem 1.0

ordered plans 4/26
ordered equipment 4/28
equipment dropped off 4/29
system install 7am to 3:30 pm 4/30
ordered plaque 5/2
installed plaque 5/3
submitted fast track sdge paperwork electronically with plaque picture 5/3
bought and installed other warning stickers I didn't know about then called for final inspection 5/4
passed final inspection 5/5
Forgot to call sdge after seeing online app go to awaiting final approval 5/6
Tested system all weekend on and off. (JUST TESTING! I SWEAR!
SDGE email approval 7:40 am 5/9

So about 14 days.
I gotta admin the bureaucracy has kinda gotten it down tight.

[sensij]

Just wanted to update after geting some good advice here

I was under the gun to get nem 1.0

ordered plans 4/26
ordered equipment 4/28
equipment dropped off 4/29
system install 7am to 3:30 pm 4/30
ordered plaque 5/2
installed plaque 5/3
submitted fast track sdge paperwork electronically with plaque picture 5/3
bought and installed other warning stickers I didn't know about then called for final inspection 5/4
passed final inspection 5/5
Forgot to call sdge after seeing online app go to awaiting final approval 5/6
Tested system all weekend on and off. (JUST TESTING! I SWEAR!
SDGE email approval 7:40 am 5/9

So about 14 days.
I gotta admin the bureaucracy has kinda gotten it down tight.

That is seriously fast. Something seems wrong with the sequence... installing before you've gotten plans approved by the AHJ does not sound like a good practice, but I'm glad it worked out for you.

[nomadh]

That is seriously fast. Something seems wrong with the sequence... installing before you've gotten plans approved by the AHJ does not sound like a good practice, but I'm glad it worked out for you.

The plans were approved on 4/28 also. The plans guy was pretty cocky. He told me to order up the parts from the plans before aporoval. I ordered them but didn't ship until I knew the plans aporoved.

Been checking the numbers from sdge. I've had a few cloudy day just shaving my usage. But the nice days. I can take my base of 2kw per hour run my meter backwards by 3k during most of the day.
Normal usage is 40 to 60 kwh per day. On a dark day I generate 15kwh but bright days generate 30 to 36 kwh. So perhaps over the average I'll offset 50% usage. Now it's time to tackle usage and energy savings.

[J.P.M.]

The plans were approved on 4/28 also. The plans guy was pretty cocky. He told me to order up the parts from the plans before aporoval. I ordered them but didn't ship until I knew the plans aporoved.

Been checking the numbers from sdge. I've had a few cloudy day just shaving my usage. But the nice days. I can take my base of 2kw per hour run my meter backwards by 3k during most of the day.
Normal usage is 40 to 60 kwh per day. On a dark day I generate 15kwh but bright days generate 30 to 36 kwh. So perhaps over the average I'll offset 50% usage. Now it's time to tackle usage and energy savings.

FWIW, expect ~ 9,000 - 9,500 kWh/yr. for your orientation. As for tackling usage and energy savings, better late than never, but from a priority standpoint, you did it backwards. Assuming system cost and making it as cost effective as possible were factors, and assuming your did this with some knowledge of current usage in mind, if the conservation had been done first, before solar, the load for the PV sizing would have been less, the system would have been smaller and less expensive.