City of White Plains, NY

Initial Status: The City has customized and adopted the form via resolution

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Permit application forms, including new solar permit, are online

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Two sets of original, hard copies are currently required in person

Guidance: Allow email submittal of permit application forms for standard, qualifying projects.

Initial Status: Only a single submittal is required

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Permit process information including point-of-contact and fee schedule is available online

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Permit turnaround is within 3 business days residential, 5 days commercial

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Fee based on valuation. $85 for first $1000 plus $10 per $1000 thereafter.

Action Taken: A flat fee of $150 is now used, plus $60 for a Certificate of Occupancy

Guidance: New fee levels are very reasonable

Initial Status: Fee based on valuation. $85 for first $1000 plus $10 per $1000 thereafter.

Action Taken: A flat fee of $150 is now used, plus $100 for a Certificate of Occupancy

Guidance: New fee levels are very reasonable

Initial Status: Typical turnaround time for inspections is 3 to 5 days for residential, over 2 weeks for commercial

Guidance: Current turnaround times are reasonable for residential systems. Commercial systems take longer due to Design Review Board approval. Need to verify details before recommending action - is Design Board approval during the permit stage or during inspection?

Initial Status: A 4 hour window is provided

Guidance: City currently at best practice. If contractor is required to be on site for inspection, consider a method for alerting contractor of the inspector's status, such as a phone call or text when the inspector is headed for the site.

Initial Status: Only one final inspection required, covers structural and electrical. There is a pre-install visit.

Guidance: There is a pre-construction inspection to verify the roof condition, location of panels, access to attic (if any) and location of conduits from roof to additional equipment. In conjunction with the final inspection, this could be considered two separate inspections/trips. However, the pre-construction visit is conducted for the benefit of both parties to ensure the installation will proceed smoothly, and thus represents a solar-friendly practice.

Initial Status: Survey response indicated a checklist is in use, but did not see online. Need to verify.

Guidance: Utilize a standard inspection checklist for PV systems. The checklist serves as a guide for inspectors and installers containing points of emphasis and common issues. Ideally this is a regional document.

Initial Status: A structural PE stamp is currently required for both residential and commercial systems.

Guidance: For qualifying residential systems on code approved residences meeting certain criteria, consider allowing an exemption from structural analysis or structural PE stamp requirements. This follows the guidance in the Unified Solar Permit, where an exemption from the PE letter is allowed if checklist questions #11-13 are satisfied and if the installation uses an engineered racking system.

Initial Status: 2010 Residential Code of New York State and the 2008 National Electrical Code

Guidance: City currently at best practice. The 'Take Action' button at right contains additional resources for ongoing solar-related education for building officials.

Initial Status: Zoning Ordinance section 4.4.21 protects solar access

Guidance: City currently at best practice. Ordinance specifies that sunlight access shall be considered during site plan approval for new buildings, and also specifies that new construction which blocks access to existing solar installations is prohibited unless special circumstances are met.

Initial Status: No such standards in place currently, though Comprehensive Plan sets the stage for such action.

Guidance: Explore creation of municipal ordinances which require new homes and buildings to be built solar-ready. This would help meet the new green building technology goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

Initial Status: City Comprehensive Plan revisions in 2006 include strategy to promote green building technologies

Guidance: City has made strides in greening the Comprehensive Plan. Consider including specific solar development goals in future revisions of the Comprehensive Plan; the Solar Roadmap team can help develop content as needed.

Initial Status: Zoning Ordinance allows solar on all buildings and exempts installations from height limitations

Guidance: City currently at best practice. Section 4.4.21 of the City Zoning Ordinance allows solar on all buildings, and section 4.4.15.5 exempts installations from existing height limitations. Though all installations are required to obtain approval from the Design Review Board which may created delays, most residential installs are exempted.

Initial Status: Several local HOAs exist, though unknown if any have restrictive policies. To be determined.

Guidance: Work with condo owner and homeowners associations to ensure that their covenant, conditions, and restrictions and bylaws do not create undue barriers to solar installations.

Initial Status: City is an EIC member, which allows EIC to offer financing for local projects

Guidance: City currently at best practice

Initial Status: Local vendors offer 3rd party finance, and NYSERDA Green Jobs Green NY offers low interest loans

Guidance: Effective finance options are offered in the region.

Initial Status: Some awareness exists within the community currently

Guidance: Publicize the availability of local solar finance options and solar evaluation tools for potential buyers. Consider doing this via an update to the City website highlighting participation in the EIC and other local solar opportunities. See related suggestion under Roadmap Goal [M8].

Initial Status: No such programs have been deployed in White Plains

Action Taken: City participating in new NYSERDA funded intiative which may lead to solarize program

Guidance: Support the creation of a working group of community leaders and funding providers. This group would evaluate options and determine the most viable approach for aggregating residential solar based on best practices to date. Follow the model used in the Solarize Westchester campaigns run in neighboring communities.

Initial Status: No such campaigns previously

Action Taken: City is participating in the Municipal Solar Buyers Group; RFP was issued in December 2015

Guidance: City has put several sites up for consideration in this group procurement. Find more information at http://sustainablewestchester.org/community-toolkits/muni-solar-buyers-group

Initial Status: No solar installations on municipal property previously

Action Taken: City has put 6 sites up for consideration via the Municipal Buyers Group, including a capped landfill

Initial Status: Though the City publishes limited solar information, it is effectively promoted through Sustainable Westchester and other regional sources

Guidance: City has taken great strides via participation in SWEAC and the Solarize Westchester campaign. Consider working with the Solar Roadmap team to add new content to the City website highlighting these efforts, with a focus on providing information and resources for citizens looking to go solar. See related goal F7 for additional content which may be useful to residents looking to go solar.

Initial Status: City of White Plains is founding member of SWEAC (soon to join Sustainable Westchester) and is a participant in the NYSolar Smart Initiative