Redwood City, CA Solar Energy: Expedited Solar Permitting (2026)

211 promises to satisfy the state's Solar Rights Act and AB 2188. The Building Official must issue a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit the same day for an over-the-counter application, or within one to three business days of a complete electronic application that meets the approved checklist and standard plan, and review is limited strictly to whether the application meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements; the City cannot second-guess the design choice or aesthetics of a compliant system. Subsection C carves out one exception: if the Building Official finds substantial evidence that a proposed system could cause a specific, adverse impact on public health or safety, the applicant can be routed to a discretionary use permit before the Zoning Administrator under Article 42 of the Zoning Ordinance, and that decision can be appealed to the Planning Commission; any condition imposed still has to mitigate the impact at the lowest possible cost and cannot be conditioned on a homeowners' association's approval.

For systems that stay on the expedited track, only one inspection is required, and the City must schedule it within two business days of a request, with a two-hour arrival window given for the inspector on the day of the visit. If the system fails that inspection, a follow-up inspection is authorized but no longer has to meet the Article's expedited timing at all.