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Solar site surveys · New JerseyA technician on the roof, in the attic and at the service panel, with the survey read against the code editions, AHJs and utilities that apply in New Jersey.
New Jersey enforces one statewide Uniform Construction Code, so since August 17, 2026 the 2023 NEC and the New Jersey editions of the 2024 IRC and IBC apply everywhere, but each municipality's construction office issues the permit. Exported solar still earns kWh-for-kWh net metering credit, and new home systems can register for SREC-II incentives through the BPU's ADI program. Surveys should record roof slope for pathway rules, site-specific snow and wind loads, and coastal flood exposure.
The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.
DCA Bulletin 19-1 sends designers to the ASCE 7 or ATC hazard tools for address-specific snow, wind and seismic loads. Where the tools return a case-study area, it lists fallback ground snow loads such as 50 psf in Sussex and 40 psf in Passaic County.8
Sandy came ashore near Brigantine on October 29, 2012, and its surge flooded parts of downtown Jersey City and about half of Hoboken. Note flood exposure and equipment elevation for waterfront and bayside sites.9
Under DCA's reading of the IRC, roofs at 2:12 slope or less are exempt from the PV pathway and ridge setback rules, so record the slope of every plane. Steeper roofs need two 36-inch pathways and 18- or 36-inch ridge setbacks.7
Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.
The four investor-owned utilities are regulated by the BPU, and a few towns such as Vineland run their own electric utility. The BPU's updated interconnection rules (N.J.A.C. 14:8-5, effective January 5, 2026) allow Level 1 review for smart-inverter systems up to 50 kW nameplate and 25 kW export, and set rules for utility hosting capacity maps.18,19
The state's largest utility, with about 2.4 million customers including Newark, Jersey City and much of the northeast. Level 1 applications (up to 50 kW AC nameplate and 25 kW AC export) go in by email, and the UCC certificate of approval must be filed before PSE&G inspects and issues permission to operate.20,21,18
Interconnection page ↗FirstEnergy utility with about 1.1 million customers in northern, central and coastal New Jersey. It takes applications through an online interconnection portal, requires a UCC electrical inspection certificate before approval to operate, and publishes a Solar Accommodation (hosting capacity) Map.22,23,18
Interconnection page ↗Serves most of South Jersey, about 556,000 customers, and posts a hosting capacity map that estimates how much generation each feeder can take, though every application still gets a full review.24,18
Interconnection page ↗The New Jersey arm of New York-based Orange & Rockland, with about 76,000 customers. Applications go through its PowerClerk portal, and the system may not be energized until the utility grants permission to operate.25,18
Interconnection page ↗One standard, one visit, the same record in New Jersey as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.
The 2023 NEC, adopted statewide as the UCC electrical subcode on August 17, 2026 and replacing the 2020 edition. DCA noted a six-month grace period after adoption, so confirm which edition applies to a permit filed around that date.1,3,2
No, not on an individually owned single-family roof or an owner-maintained townhouse roof. Under N.J.S.A. 45:22A-48.2 the association may set placement, appearance and size rules, but not ones that cut efficiency or add more than 10% to the installed cost.11,12
As of September 2026, surplus kWh are banked month to month at full credit and any balance is paid at avoided wholesale cost at the annual true-up. The BPU has studied a successor since net metering passed its 5.8% threshold, but had announced no change as of May 2026.26,10,27
Residential net-metered systems can register in the BPU's ADI program for SREC-IIs paid over 15 years; registrations on or after July 27, 2026 get $77 per MWh. Grid-supply projects and net-metered commercial projects over 5 MW compete in the separate CSI solicitations instead.27,28
Yes. P.L.2025, c.174 requires DCA to launch a statewide automated platform for home solar and battery permits within about 18 months of the December 2025 signing, and towns must then use it or an equivalent tool. As of September 2026 DCA was still gathering information on how to build it.15,16,17
Metro pages for New Jersey: Jersey City.
Roof, attic and service panel in one visit
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Explore →Stamped sets, six days from survey
Explore →SA, TOF and TSRF per plane
Explore →Every local fact on this page links to where it came from. Codes, programs and tariffs change: confirm the current requirement with the AHJ and the utility before you design.
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