City staff weigh SolarAPP integration, propose 24-hour permit turnaround for simple rooftop solar
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Summary
Planning and environmental staff briefed the committee on SolarAPP and Dallas' new permitting system; staff recommended a 24-hour streamlined review for solar-only installs in base zoning and said they will return with a six-month progress report on integration and outcomes.
City staff told the Parks, Trails and Environment Committee on May 5 that the city is evaluating SolarAPP (an automated plan-review platform) for rooftop solar permitting while the city transitions to a new permitting system called Dallas Now.
Paul White II, director at the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability, and Emily Liu, director of planning and development, described SolarAPP as an "instant plan review and approval" system that checks solar installations against the International Building Code (2021) and can be customized for local requirements. Liu said the platform is checklist-driven and that the cityhas unique zoning constraintsplanned developments, historic preservation and conservation districtsthat complicate automated review.
Liu told the committee the department's analysis of peer cities showed mixed results. Houston (which lacks citywide zoning) and San Antonio (which adopted SolarAPP during a surge in applications) both use SolarAPP for many solar-only permits; Houston reports about half of its solar permits now go through SolarAPP. Liu said San Antonio used SolarAPP to clear a backlog and later began taking some applications back into internal review when staffing allowed.
The department recommended an initial, incremental approach: use existing internal streamlining measures to offer a 24-hour turnaround for solar-panel-only applications in base zoning districts (no battery storage, no historic or conservation overlays). Liu said batteries remain more complex because they require additional fire-department review.
Councilmember West asked whether SolarAPP checklists can be customized; Liu said city staff will follow up with SolarAPP vendors to see whether the checklist can require uploaded plans to help inspectors in the field. Councilmember West also suggested looking at California cities if Dallas needs additional zoning examples. Staff said they will return to the committee in six months with an update on Dallas Now integration, processing times and whether SolarAPP will be incorporated into the new system.
No committee action was taken; staff emphasized they are not recommending immediate full integration with SolarAPP during the Dallas Now rollout but are proposing staged steps that could include SolarAPP in a later phase.