Bakersfield Launches Instant Permitting with Symbium for a Wide Range of Energy-Saving Projects

City Becomes a Leader in Automating Compliance Checks for Clean Energy Upgrades

Bakersfield, CA — April 28, 2025 — The City of Bakersfield is taking a major step forward in modernizing its permitting process with the launch of Symbium, the first-of-its-kind platform that enables instant, comprehensive permit checks across a wide range of energy-saving projects. With this launch, Bakersfield residents and contractors can now instantly obtain permits for solar, energy storage, EV charging, new service panels, reroofs, and more — expanding beyond the traditional plan review process and means of obtaining building permits. Instant permitting with Symbium covers a broader set of clean energy projects for a speedy and effortless experience for both applicants and staff.

Unrivaled Permitting Technology to Support a Greener Future

Symbium is the only permitting solution performing comprehensive code-compliance checks across multiple project types, ensuring that applications meet city regulations instantly. Unlike other systems that focus solely on solar and storage, Symbium provides a seamless experience for a diverse range of energy-saving projects, reducing permitting bottlenecks and helping Bakersfield accelerate its clean energy transition.

“Cities choose Symbium because of our unmatched ability to handle the most complex permit scopes across multiple project types, not just solar and storage,” said Leila Banijamali, CEO of Symbium. “We built this solution from the ground up in close collaboration with building officials, inspectors, and installers — the people who know permitting best. This is just the beginning.”

Bakersfield Streamlines Permitting for Residents and Businesses

The launch of Symbium’s instant permitting platform marks a pivotal moment for Bakersfield homeowners, businesses, and contractors. By eliminating paperwork delays, reducing permit errors, and cutting down approval times, the city is making it easier than ever to complete clean energy upgrades.

“The City of Bakersfield is an extremely busy jurisdiction for PV and ESS installations. We have permitted and inspected more than 70,000 solar PV and battery energy storage systems over the last 20 years and continue to see 100–200 new applications each week.,” said Pete Jackson, Electrical Specialist for the City of Bakersfield. “The Symbium process is an essential tool that will enable us to continue to provide a comprehensive design review…but do so instantly. But this is not limited to solar and storage. Working with Symbium, we were also able to create instant permitting for residential re-roof, electrical service panel upgrade, and electric vehicle charging installations. The combination of the re-roof and solar PV workflows allows instant permitting for building integrated PV (BIPV) systems.”

Driving the Adoption of Clean Energy at Scale

With this launch, Bakersfield joins a growing number of forward-thinking cities leveraging technology to modernize permitting and accelerate the adoption of clean energy solutions. Symbium’s instant permitting system ensures regulatory compliance in real time, reducing administrative burdens on city staff while making it easier for residents to more easily adopt clean energy solutions in their homes and businesses.

The launch of instant permitting with Symbium aligns with Bakersfield’s broader commitment to sustainability and resilience as the City prepares SOAR (Sustainable Opportunities Advancing Resilience) Bakersfield, a strategic initiative supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. By streamlining the permitting process for solar, energy storage, EV charging, heat pumps, and more, Bakersfield is taking concrete steps to reduce energy costs, improve public health, and create new job opportunities in the clean energy sector. This effort directly supports SOAR Bakersfield’s mission to address climate challenges while fostering economic growth and community development, prioritizing cleaner air, energy efficiency, and resilience — especially for those facing disproportionate environmental and economic challenges.

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About Symbium

Symbium is the leader in automated compliance checks for instant or accelerated permit issuance across a range of project types in the energy saving space. The company partners with local building departments to enable instant permitting, which is used by high volume and independent installers everywhere. Symbium is currently a resident at Autodesk and has achieved significant recognition and growth as a proud portfolio company of climate impact leaders such as Elemental Impact and RMI’s Third Derivative. The company continues to receive numerous awards for its breakthrough tech and success with instant permitting from the Association for Corporate Growth, GovTech 100, the ALP Alain Colmerauer Heritage Prize, the Ivory Prize, BuiltWorlds Maverick, and the Hive 50.

About Bakersfield, California

The City of Bakersfield is the ninth largest city in California by population and 47th largest in the United States with a population of 411,109 (CA DOF) — larger than St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Tampa. More than 10% of Bakersfield’s population are between 18- and 24-years-old and 14.61% are between 25 and 34. This, coupled with a median household income of $79,373, makes Bakersfield one of the country’s fastest-growing cities and it continues to grow as the top spot for affordable business and office space throughout Central and Southern California. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places Bakersfield first in the region for Fastest Growing Workforce. The City is preparing SOAR (Sustainable Opportunities Advancing Resilience) Bakersfield to strengthen the City’s future, which will identify opportunities that deliver direct benefits such as cleaner air, better public health, reduced energy costs, new job opportunities in growing industries, and resilience to climate impacts.

Contact: press@symbium.com