How Monalee Works: Step 5

Even though a homeowner’s panels are successfully installed, they won’t be able to turn on their system just yet. A few things have to happen first.

Local Jurisdiction Inspection

After a homeowner’s solar panels are installed, we will request an appointment with their local jurisdictions’ inspection office on their behalf. Typically, this will be scheduled within 5-10 business days of the homeowner paying their remaining Monalee balance. Some jurisdictions don’t require an inspection and in that case, we only need to wait for permission to operate (PTO), or to turn the system on, from their utility company. 

On the day of inspection, our technician will arrive during the scheduled inspection window provided by the inspections office to complete any minor work needed and prepare for the inspector’s arrival. A few examples of minor work needed may include painting the conduit/equipment due to HOA requirements, applying labels, or filling in a trench with dirt or cement.

Most home inspections will pass on the first attempt. However, if the inspector would like to see something changed, we’ll quickly coordinate those changes with our installation team and the inspector, although this will require an additional site visit in most cases.

Next Steps

After the inspection, the inspector will provide us with a report that we’ll submit to the utility company for PTO, which is needed in order to turn on the solar system.

This can be the longest part of the process, sometimes taking up to nine weeks. Unfortunately, this is mostly out of our control and heavily dependent on how quickly the homeowner’s utility company works through the request.

As soon as PTO is approved, our technical support team reaches out to the homeowner by email or phone to show them how to turn on their system and monitor their solar production. We also share with them how to download certain system apps so that they can monitor the system. 

If you have any questions about local jurisdiction inspections or permission to operate, please contact our support team directly (care@monalee.co).