Maryland SB 783: Solar Permitting Software Mandate. What Building Officials Must do by August 1, 2025

Critical Alert: All Maryland counties and municipalities must implement automated solar permit compliance checking software.

Maryland building departments face a mandatory technology upgrade with the implementation of Senate Bill 783’s solar permitting requirements by August 1, 2025. This comprehensive legislation, known as the “Brighter Tomorrow Act,” fundamentally changes how jurisdictions must handle residential solar, energy storage, and electrical panel permits through mandated automation.

The Core Mandate: Automated Solar Permitting Software

Under Section 1–1319 of the Local Government Code, SB 783 requires all counties and municipalities to implement “solar permitting software” for tracking and approving residential building permits by August 1, 2025.

Required Software Capabilities

Building departments must implement software that supports automated tracking and approval for:

• Residential solar energy systems
• Residential energy storage systems
• Main electrical panel upgrades
• Main electrical panel derates

Software Definition and Standards

The law defines acceptable “solar permitting software” as either:

Option 1: The most recent version of the web-based platform developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that provides a standard portal for receiving and processing residential solar and energy storage permit information. (read about NREL inviting Symbium to advise it on EV charger permit automation)

Option 2: Equivalent Automated Software Automated software that functions to support the tracking and approval of residential building permits for the required project types, provided it meets the same functional capabilities.

NOTE: Symbium is currently the ONLY compliant option in the market about which we are aware that has the following characteristics:

1. Highly configurable to account for a local jurisdiction’s specific nuances and requirements. Symbium was developed from the ground up, in collaboration with building officials and inspectors;
2. Can integrate into a jurisdiction’s existing permitting workflows for a singular, end-to-end experience; and
3. Is easily extendable to other permit types, including HVAC, EV charging, reroofs, and much more very quickly and with 100% accuracy.

Compliance Timeline and Deadlines

August 1, 2025 — Universal Implementation Deadline

All Maryland counties and municipalities must have compliant software operational by this date, regardless of jurisdiction size or current permitting volume.

No Grandfather Period

Unlike some state mandates, SB 783 provides no phase-in period based on jurisdiction size or permit volume. The deadline applies universally across Maryland.

Limited Exemptions

Jurisdictions That Don’t Require Permits

Counties or municipalities are exempt only if they do not require permits for:

• Residential solar energy systems, OR
• Residential solar energy systems paired with energy storage systems

Software Discontinuation Exemption

Jurisdictions may be exempted if the Maryland Energy Administration determines that automated software is no longer updated or maintained.

Financial Support Contingency

The Maryland Energy Administration may delay implementation or suspend requirements if insufficient state or federal funds are available to provide financial support for software implementation.

Key Operational Changes Required

Process Automation Standards

• Automated Review Capability: Software must support automated permit review without requiring manual intervention for standard installations
• Standardized Application Processing: Systems must provide consistent application intake and processing workflows
• Digital Approval Tracking: Complete digital tracking from application submission through permit issuance

Integration Requirements

• Existing System Compatibility: New software must integrate with current permitting workflows and fee collection systems
• Staff Training: Personnel must be trained on new automated processes and exception handling
• Quality Assurance: Departments must establish protocols for reviewing automated approvals and handling non-standard applications

Financial and Resource Considerations

State Support Availability — the downsides of grant funding for SB 783

The Maryland Energy Administration may provide financial support for jurisdictions that choose to adopt the very narrowly-scoped SolarAPP+, though funding availability could affect implementation timelines.

Other disadvantages of state grand funding for SB 783 include:

• Additional administrative and reporting burdens, tied to grant funding. Grant funding, particularly when it’s not necessary, is often just another path for a state to assert further control over local building departments.
• A jurisdiction that adopts SolarAPP+ will not be eligible to use Symbium, which is a more powerful, configurable, and flexible solution that can automate compliance checks across an unlimited number of project types. The reason is that there’s a high risk to jurisdictions for making available two separate systems, each with different substantive and procedural requirements for the same project.

Symbium is offered at no cost to building departments that wish to comply with SB 783 and there is no need to spend additional funds to procure the software.

Strategic Considerations for Implementation

Technology Selection Criteria

When an SB 783-compliant solution, consider:

• Configurability to account for your specific nuanced requirements, whatever they may be, including a requirement to upload site plans and line diagrams (if that’s what your building department prefers),
• Integration into your existing permitting workflows,
• Extendability to other permit types so that your building department does not need to procure a solar app, an EV charger app, a reroof app etc. A scalable solution can add comprehensive compliance checks for additional project types within days or weeks.
• Future-proof and always innovating with best-in-class features and AI capabilities. A narrowly-scoped, rigid system will only hold your jurisdiction back in the long run.

Operational Efficiency Opportunities

SB 783 implementation provides an opportunity to modernize broader permitting operations beyond just solar projects. Consider how automated capabilities can improve efficiency across other permit types.

Symbium’s Comprehensive Solution for SB 783 Compliance

While SB 783 mandates automated solar permitting, building departments can leverage this implementation opportunity to modernize their entire residential permitting operation. Symbium addresses SB 783 requirements while expanding automated capabilities across multiple project types.

1. Full SB 783 Compliance Symbium meets all Maryland automated software requirements for residential solar energy systems, energy storage systems, and electrical panel modifications while providing comprehensive audit trails for state oversight.

2. Expanded Project Coverage in One Platform Beyond solar installations, Symbium enables instant permitting for HVAC systems, roofing projects, EV chargers, solar roof tiles, heat pumps and more, eliminating the need for multiple specialized applications.

3. Seamless Integration with Minimal Disruption Symbium integrates directly into existing permitting workflows with no staff retraining required. The platform handles the overwhelming majority of configuration and integration work, ensuring smooth August 1, 2025 deadline compliance.

Bottom Line for Maryland Building Officials

SB 783’s August 1, 2025 deadline is non-negotiable and applies to every Maryland jurisdiction that requires permits for residential solar installations. The 180-day implementation window requires immediate action on software selection, procurement, and integration planning.

Jurisdictions that delay implementation risk state intervention and potential legal challenges. Early preparation and system optimization will determine whether automated solar permitting becomes an operational enhancement or a compliance burden.

The mandate represents Maryland’s commitment to renewable energy development and grid modernization. Building departments that embrace this transition can position themselves for improved operational efficiency while supporting the state’s clean energy goals.

For questions about SB 783 implementation or to discuss automated permitting solutions, send us an email: hello@symbium.com.

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About Symbium

Symbium has been recognized as a national organization focussed on clean energy research, development, and deployment and is the leader in automating 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.