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Automation Makes it Easier to Permit Efficient Electric Water Heaters

Jun 17, 2025

Need a permit for a new water heater? There’s an app for that! Ava is working to add electric heat pump water heaters to an app that streamlines solar permit processes.

Going electric is vital to cutting global warming pollution, but it can be difficult to retrofit existing homes with new electric appliances. One point of friction is getting permits from local officials, a process that can add cost and time to a project.

Ava is helping make it easier to get permits for efficient heat pump water heaters by supporting work to add appliance permitting to an app that streamlines permits for solar installations.

Meet SolarAPP+

The app, SolarAPP+, makes it easier for cities and counties to issue permits for rooftop solar installations. The app integrates with existing government software to automate plan review, permit approval, and project tracking. It standardizes up to 90% of system plans, and provides an inspection checklist and final sign-off after installation.

So far, over 280 cities and counties have adopted the app, issuing more than 77,000 permits for solar and battery installations or just solar alone. Of those jurisdictions, 161 are in California, including 14 in Ava’s service territory.

Source: DOE

The pace of usage is increasing. “We hit an all-time single-day high of 235 permits on March 5, 2025,” says Mark Rodriguez, SolarAPP+’s Chief Engineering Officer.

The City of Stockton in San Joaquin County (which joined Ava service in April 2025) cut its permitting time from 4.5 days to less than 1 day. 

“Nearly 25% of the permits we issue are for solar, so this level of automation improves customer service for all of our customers—a huge win for everyone,” said former Stockton Community Development Deputy Director John Schweigerdt when the app launched. 

The app is now managed by the SolarAPP+ Foundation, a collaboration of the solar industry and the building code enforcement community. NREL and Underwriters Labs (UL) handle the software development, outreach, education, and onboarding of new jurisdictions.

Getting into Hot Water

Since SolarAPP+ works so well for solar, Ava and the SolarAPP+ Foundation are now working to apply it to the permitting process for residential heat pump water heaters in single-family homes.

Ava’s interest is spurred in part by pollution rules from the Bay Area Air District (BAAD) that is considering a ban on the sale of gas water heaters, as well as other gas appliances, which could go into effect as soon as 2027. Emissions from millions of gas-fired furnaces and water heaters have become the largest source of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the region, surpassing cars and industrial sources.

Consumer interest, incentives, and new appliance standards have led to growing demand for heat pump installations

The growing pace of heat pump installations will boost the number of permit applications, potentially overwhelming permit departments and adding to delays and costs.
“We are already seeing an uptick in heat pump installations, thanks to consumer interest and incentives,” says JP Ross, Vice President of Local Development at Ava. “But the air quality rules will really accelerate demand. We want to get ahead of that before it becomes a problem.”

With funding from Ava, the SolarAPP+ Foundation and its consultants will work with Ava member cities and subject matter experts to design the software and integrate it with permitting procedures. A beta testing phase is set to roll out in late 2025 or early 2026, at which time city staff and contractors will be able to try out the software and provide feedback.

State Interest

There are also state-level streamlining proposals, such as a bill from State Senator Scott Wiener, the Heat Pump Access Act (SB 282). The bill would streamline the permitting process for water heaters and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) heat pumps. The Ava Board of Directors voted to support SB 282 at its May 2025 meeting. 

“The permitting process for heat pumps is deeply broken, making homeowners suffer long waits, high fees, and needless hoops just to install a heat pump,” Sen. Wiener said in announcing the bill. “The Heat Pump Access Act will create a standardized permitting process across the state that is faster, simpler, and cheaper for homeowners and contractors.”

After integrating permits for water heaters, SolarAPP+ is considering doing the same for battery storage and EV charging.

“Automated permitting can help alleviate barriers and reduce timelines for lots of different projects that require permitting,” says Rodriguez. “Technology can help our jurisdictions be more efficient and effective in their roles, drastically reducing turnaround time for permits.”

Given that over 160 California cities, towns, and counties—plus jurisdictions in 11 other states—already use SolarAPP+, Ava’s effort to add appliance permitting could have national implications.

“We think it’s a really good leverage opportunity,” says Ross. “We want to make it easy for everyone to go electric: as easy as clicking on an app.”