New Brunswick, NJ Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Solar installations are priced in § 15.04.120, item 21 of the Electrical Subcode Fees. Photovoltaic systems of 1 to 50 kilowatts cost $100, systems of 51 to 100 kilowatts cost $250, and systems of 101 to 1000 kilowatts cost $650. The schedule also lists photovoltaic systems per 1000 kilowatts at $650 and photovoltaic systems per megawatt at $12,000. Equipment is charged on top: a combiner box costs $75 each, a photovoltaic meter costs $75 each, and optimizers or micro inverters cost $75 for 1 to 5 devices plus $35 for each 5 additional devices or portion thereof. A plumbing item in the same section lists an active solar system among the commercial and special fixtures charged $150. Fees are payable to the City of New Brunswick at the central permit office, which receives permit applications and issues construction permits under the State Uniform Construction Code adopted in § 15.04.010.

Zoning treats rooftop panels differently. Section 17.03.015, Exemptions from zoning permit review, exempts rooftop solar panels from the zoning permitting process and zoning fees, so no zoning permit or zoning fee applies to them. The definitions in Chapter 17.02 define a solar farm as a site in which the principal use is a large number of solar panels that are installed at or near ground level for purposes of energy generation that is connected to the power grid.

Section 17.03.340, Roof treatments, adds a roof rule. Any roof with an incline at or less than 12.5 degrees is a flat roof, and flat roofs must be either a white roof, a green roof, or have solar panels. The rule does not apply to single- and two-family homes. Separately, a change to an application that has already been released costs $60 per hour with a one-hour minimum, and a change of contractor application costs $50.