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You may need a building permit, an electrical permit, or both before installing a PV system. Check with your town, city or county building department. Typically, if permits are necessary, your PV provider will take care of this, rolling the price of the permits into the overall system price. However, in some cases, your PV provider may not know how much time or money will be involved in "pulling" a permit. If so, this task may be priced on a time-and-materials basis, particularly if additional drawings or calculations must be provided to the permitting agency. In any case, make sure the permitting costs and responsibilities are addressed at the start with your PV provider. Code requirements for PV systems vary somewhat from one jurisdiction to the next, but most requirements are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC). The NEC has a special section, Article 690, that carefully spells out requirements for designing and installing safe, reliable, code-compliant PV systems. Because most local requirements are based on the NEC, your building inspector is likely to rely on Article 690 for guidance in determining whether your PV system has been properly designed and installed.
The Certificate of Public Good for Interconnected Net Metered Power Systems is required for net metered PV systems. To receive this Certificate, applicants must certify they carry an insurance policy with a minimum general liability of $100,000 for the property where the system will be installed. If you are buying a PV system for your home, your standard homeowner's insurance policy is usually adequate to meet this requirement.
Prior to installing a net metered system you must first obtain the Certificate of Public Good (CPG) from the Vermont Public Service Board. In order to receive a CPG all net-metered systems must meet the Public Service Board's interconnection safety and technological requirements. You can download a copy of the CPG application at http://publicservice.vermont.gov/energy-efficiency/ee_netmetering.html or contact the Public Service Board at (802) 828-2358 to request an application be mailed to you. For all PV installations, copies of the CPG application must be filed with the Department of Public Service, and the connecting utility. For any PV systems that are on new structures, that are not a home or business, additional copies must be filed with the local planning commission and selectboard, the Agency of Natural Resources, and adjoining landowners. The Certificate of Public Good and the technical requirements for interconnection specify the terms and conditions under which your system will be connected to the utility grid. These will include your obligation to obtain permits and insurance, maintain the system in good working order, and operate it safely. These documents also specify the metering arrangements, the payment for any excess generation, and other related issues. The language in these contracts should be simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. If you are unclear about your obligations under these agreements, you should contact the utility, your PV system installer, or the Renewable Energy Resource Center for clarification.
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Before
connecting a PV system to the grid
What about permits?
