Apex has aggressively streamlined residential solar permitting. In July 2018 the Town eliminated the $100 application review fee and the ~$100 building-inspection fee for standard rooftop solar PV systems, removed the engineer's-seal requirement for rooftop PV under most cases, and raised the residential rooftop system cap from 10 kW to 20 kW. The Town targets a 3-business-day review for completed 1- and 2-family solar permits (10 days for commercial). Time-of-Use rates are optional for solar customers, and credits for excess generation can be carried forward as long as the account remains active. State law (NCGS 160D-914) prohibits HOA bans on solar collectors.
Apex made a deliberate policy push to lower the cost and friction of residential rooftop solar. Working with the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, the Town adopted a package of changes in July 2018: (1) elimination of the $100 application review fee for standard rooftop solar PV; (2) elimination of the standard ~$100 building inspection fee; (3) removal of the engineer's seal requirement on drawings / plans for rooftop PV installations meeting the standard configuration; (4) increase of the residential rooftop PV system cap from 10 kW to 20 kW; (5) made the Time-of-Use rate optional rather than mandatory for solar customers (Apex Electric is a municipal electric utility); (6) allowed customers to carry forward credits for excess energy as long as they maintain the account. Process and turnaround (Apex Solar Resources / Solar PV Permitting Checklist): the Town aims to review completed one- and two-family solar permit applications within three business days and commercial / non-residential applications within ten business days. Apex performs no more than one successful inspection for solar installations. All permits expire six months after issuance, and a permit lapses if work is discontinued for 12 months after commencement. Required documents include the Solar Panel Checklist, the Solar Installation & Interconnection Application, and (where applicable) engineering letters. Solar credits (effective July 2025) offset electric usage charges only — not base fees or other service charges. As-of-June-2026 the Town is launching a new MyServices portal for permit submittals. Statewide: NCGS 160D-914 (Solar collectors) prohibits cities and HOAs from regulating, restricting, or prohibiting the installation of solar collectors that gather solar radiation as a substitute for traditional energy for water heating, space heating or cooling, or other applications — with limited exceptions for the street-facing side of a roof in some HOA contexts. Net metering is governed by NC Utilities Commission rules; for customers of Duke Energy / Duke Energy Progress in the Apex area outside the municipal electric service territory, Duke's NC Net Metering Tariff applies. State authority for licensing solar contractors is the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (electrical work requires an NC electrical contractor license).
Installing a rooftop solar PV system without a Town permit / inspection is a Town Code / building-code violation; the Town may require removal, retrofit, or re-permitting plus civil penalties under standard NC municipal authority (up to $500/day, each day a separate offense). Unlicensed electrical work can trigger NC State Electrical Licensing Board action.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Apex, NC
Apex does not have a code provision specifically prohibiting or permitting artificial turf in residential or commercial landscapes. Where landscape material ...
Apex, NC
Apex does not mandate native plants in private landscapes but actively promotes them. The Town's Plant the Peak program installs native trees on residential ...
Apex, NC
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Apex. North Carolina state law prohibits local governments from banning cisterns and rain barrels used for ir...
Apex, NC
Apex UDO Sec. 4.5.6 permits one Accessory Apartment per single-family lot. Attached accessory apartments have no size limit. Detached accessory apartments ar...
Apex, NC
Apex Town Code Sec. 13-62 limits Mobile Food Vendors to (a) private property with written owner permission, (b) Town-owned property with the Town Manager's w...
Apex, NC
Apex Town Code Chapter 13, Article IV (Sec. 13-60 through 13-69.5), adopted by Ordinance 2019-0305-02, requires every Mobile Food Vendor and Transient Food V...
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