A new building consent exemption for rooftop solar panels came into force this month after the Government clarified the rules as part of their construction industry reforms.

“Earlier this year, I announced commonsense changes to the Building Act to clarify that a building consent is not required to install rooftop solar panels on existing homes and commercial buildings,” said Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk.

On October 22, Penk announced the exemption would come into effect the next day and would apply to all buildings.

“Until now, decision-making on solar panel consents has varied between councils, creating uncertainty for homeowners who want to make smart decisions in reducing their carbon footprint and energy bills,” said Penk.

“Making the process simpler by removing burdensome red tape is expected to save Kiwis around $1200 per consent and help avoid unnecessary delays.”

However, he said it was important that installations were carefully managed and complied with the Building Code.

“For rooftop installations over 40m2 in total area per roof, or in very high wind speed areas, a chartered professional engineer must provide or review the design of the structural fixings for the exemption to apply.”

Penk said that most residential rooftop solar arrays are 25-30m2, so the majority of households would be able to install their solar panels without involving an engineer.