Los Banos, CA Solar Energy: Expedited Solar Permitting (2026)

Chapter 6 of Title 8, adopted by Ordinance No. 5). A "small residential rooftop solar energy system" is capped at 10 kilowatts AC nameplate rating or 30 kilowatts thermal, must be installed on a single- or duplex-family dwelling, must meet applicable state and City fire, structural, electrical and other building codes, and cannot exceed the City's maximum legal building height. The Building Department must accept electronic submittal of applications by e-mail, internet or fax, and must accept electronic signatures in lieu of a wet signature.

06, the Chief Building Official runs an administrative, nondiscretionary review limited to whether the application meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements; approval or denial is issued the same day for over-the-counter applications, or within one to three business days when over-the-counter approval is not feasible. Only one inspection is required, done in a timely manner with consolidated inspections where possible, and a failed inspection triggers one follow-up inspection. The Chief Building Official may require an administrative use permit only on substantial evidence that the system would have a "specific, adverse impact" on public health or safety, defined as a significant, quantifiable, direct and unavoidable impact based on written standards in effect when the application was deemed complete; any such denial must include written findings on why no feasible mitigation exists, and the decision can be appealed to the City Planning Commission under the appeal procedure in Part 6, Article 23, Chapter 3 of Title 9.

"Reasonable restrictions" are capped in cost: for water heater or solar pool heating systems, an added cost over 10% of system cost, but never more than $1,000, or an efficiency loss over 10%; for photovoltaic systems, an added cost over $1,000 or an efficiency loss over 10%. 55 and 66015 and Health and Safety Code Section 17951. Systems installed before the ordinance took effect are grandfathered unless physically modified in a way that requires new permitting; routine maintenance and like-kind replacement need no permit.