Solar installers warn licensing changes would raise costs; industry backs standardized consumer disclosures
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Summary
Industry groups supporting solar deployment urged lawmakers to keep current licensing exemptions for installers and to adopt a standardized consumer handbook and reasonable solicitation hours; they warned that requiring electricians to perform physical panel installation would raise costs and slow projects.
Commercial and residential solar companies told the committee proposed licensing changes in SB 233 would reduce workforce flexibility and increase project costs.
Contractors representing installers and developers said long‑standing practice separates mechanical racking/installation from licensed electrical wiring: laborers and roof crews mount racks and panels while electricians perform wiring and final electrical connections. Industry witnesses warned that forcing electricians to perform all physical installation tasks would create bottlenecks and raise project costs by an estimated 2–5 percent.
At the same time, solar firms and consumer‑advocacy groups asked the committee to adopt a centrally produced consumer handbook to standardize disclosures and improve customer protections. Sunrun, Earthlight and other firms supported a short brochure plus a link to a more detailed handbook and asked solicitation hours to be reasonable (requests to change 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in summer) and to include battery storage in definitions.
Lawmakers and stakeholders agreed to keep negotiating language to preserve entry pathways for installers while strengthening consumer disclosures and oversight.