City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Ken Zuidervaart, Planning Director
Date: 08/12/2025
Subject: Service Agreement - Symbium solar permitting software RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the Master Licensing Agreement with Symbium Corporation to provide an online, automated permitting platform for residential solar energy systems (no fiscal impact).
BACKGROUND:
Senate Bill 379, enacted in 2022, mandates that most California cities provide an online, automated permitting platform for residential solar energy systems. The intent of the legislation is to streamline the permitting process, reduce application review times, and improve transparency for homeowners and contractors installing residential solar and energy storage systems. Compliance with SB 379 requires jurisdictions to implement a web-based interface capable of issuing instant or near-instant permit decisions for qualifying installations.
DISCUSSION:
After evaluating several online solar permitting platforms, City staff selected Symbium based on its ease of use, compliance with SB 379, and positive feedback received from other cities that have implemented the software during the review process.
Symbium is a public-facing, cloud-based solar permitting platform that:
Fully complies with SB 379,
Performs real-time code-compliance verification,
Instantly issues permits for qualifying residential solar and battery storage projects, Integrates directly with the City’s new permit tracking system, eliminating redundant data entry and streamlining internal workflows, and
Provides ongoing technical support and automatic system updates in response to changes in state and local regulations.
Attached is the Master Licensing Agreement and attached Order for the software, which includes:
5-year initial term and following the initial term, renewed by the Parties for one (1) year terms;
City to provide a link to the Symbium public-facing website; No initial cost to the City as the initial licensing fee will be paid by the California Energy Commission’s CalAPP grant program;
Permit applicants will pay a processing fee for each plan check, which is remitted directly to Symbium through the platform.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to execute the Master Licensing Agreement with Symbium to provide an online, automated permitting platform for residential solar energy systems.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct cost to the City to implement or operate the Symbium platform.
Attachments:
1. Symbium Master Licensing Agreement