MALIBU—On Monday, September 30, the city of Malibu announced on its Facebook page the announcement of automated residential solar permitting platform for solar and energy storage projects.

As part of Malibu’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the city partnered with Symbium, an award-winning company that helps people understand and navigate the process of home improvement projects by providing a property information portal and permitting services, to create a Solar Permitting Platform for solar and energy storage projects. Symbium works to enhance the citizen-to-government experience and make it easier for people to interact with local governments.

The platform will ensure that every application meets the necessary safety and regulatory standards while expediting the permitting process.

Senate Bill (SB) 379, which was signed into law in 2022, requires most California cities and counties to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance instantly for a residential solar energy system, or solar paired with storage by September 30, 2024.

Licensed contractors seeking to pull permits under SB 379 will be able to apply for instantaneous plan review approval via the portal.

Projects must meet specific criteria to qualify for an instant solar permit. Checklists and other information will be available on our website: www.MalibuCity.org/Solar.