# Solar & Battery Permits + Installer Rankings (ATX/SEA/SF) (`sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data`) Actor

Solar PV and battery permits from Austin, Seattle and San Francisco open data, with installer rankings. No homeowner names, street addresses, coordinates, or contact details. Location is limited to ZIP code. System size (kW) is filled in for most SF and Seattle permits and about 40% of Austin ones.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data.md
- **Developed by:** [Sheng Shen](https://apify.com/sublime_maypop) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 permit records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Solar & Battery Permits + Installer Rankings (ATX/SEA/SF)

This Actor returns **only solar PV and battery storage permits**, plus optional **installer rankings**, from three city open-data portals. It is not a general building-permit dump.

| City | Dataset | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Issued Construction Permits (`3syk-w9eu`), City of Austin Development Services | Public domain under City of Austin Open Data Terms of Use |
| Seattle, WA | Electrical Permits (`c4tj-daue`), Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) | Public Domain (dataset metadata); Seattle Open Data Terms of Use apply |
| San Francisco, CA | Electrical Permits, legacy system (`ftty-kx6y`), SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI) | ODC Public Domain Dedication and License (PDDL) 1.0 |

### Coverage and freshness (checked 2026-11-05)

| City | Matching permits issued 2025-01-01 to early Nov 2026 | Latest issue date seen | How often the city updates | Contractor names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 2,580 (solar 1,344 / battery 846 / solar+battery 390) | 2026-11-03 | Rows refreshed daily | Yes |
| Seattle, WA | 1,360 (solar 935 / battery 176 / solar+battery 249) | 2026-11-02 | Rows refreshed daily | Yes |
| San Francisco, CA | 1,818 (solar+battery 1,273 / solar 454 / battery 91) | 2026-11-03 | Portal metadata says weekly; rows were refreshed 2026-11-04 | No (not published in this dataset) |

The full datasets go back much further (Austin from the 1920s, San Francisco from 2002), so you can set `dateFrom` to any year.

San Francisco's dataset is the city's legacy electrical permit system. It is still being updated as of November 2026. If the city retires it, San Francisco rows will stop.

System size in kW was found in the description for 42% of Austin, 68% of Seattle and 68% of San Francisco permits in this window. Austin is lower because most of its battery-only permits do not state a size.

### What you get

One row per matching permit: city, permit ID, category (`solar` / `battery` / `solar+battery`), dates, status, ZIP code, system size in kW and battery kWh when the permit description states them, valuation, and contractor company (when published). The free-text description itself is not returned.

Installer ranking mode returns permit count per contractor per city with first and last issue date. Austin and Seattle support this. San Francisco's legacy electrical dataset has no contractor column, so that city is skipped in ranking mode with a log note.

### Who uses this

- **Battery and solar installers** checking who is pulling permits in their ZIP codes, and how fast a new competitor is growing.
- **Equipment distributors** building a list of active installers in Austin and Seattle to call on.
- **Analysts and journalists** tracking permit volume month by month. Example: in Austin, permits matching battery keywords went from 24 in July 2026 to 265 in October 2026, almost all filed by one company.
- **Researchers** who need permit-level records they can look up by permit ID on the city portal.

### Privacy

No homeowner names, street addresses, coordinates, or contact details. Location is limited to ZIP code.

- No free-text description column. The city's work description is read only to work out the category, system kW and battery kWh, then dropped.
- No latitude or longitude, and no street address, for any city.
- No link to the city's permit page. Each row has the permit ID, which you can look up on the city portal.
- No owner, applicant or contact-person columns. They are never requested from the city APIs.
- Contractor names are kept only if they contain a company word (LLC, Inc, Co, Partners, Companies, Solar, Energy, Electric, Permitting and similar) or the exact name appears on 5 or more permits in the data matching your filters. Otherwise the contractor is null.

### Honest limits on kW and dollars

System size is parsed from the cities' free-text descriptions (the text itself is not returned). For permits issued from 2025-01-01 to early November 2026, kW was found on **68% of San Francisco**, **68% of Seattle** and **42% of Austin** rows. Among the most recent Austin permits it is much lower, because most are battery-only permits that do not state a size. Dollar valuations are often `$1` placeholders in the portals; those are returned as null, so do not use this field for $/W math.

Keyword matching is on free text, so a few permits can be mislabelled. Seattle descriptions that say `10kw` for a battery can be parsed as `systemSizeKw`.

### Input

`cities`, `permitType` (`solar` / `battery` / `both`), `outputMode` (`permits` / `installerSummary`), `dateFrom`, `dateTo` (issue date), `zipCodes`, `contractorContains`, `maxItems`.

#### Ready-to-use input examples

Battery storage permits in Austin since August 2026:

```json
{ "cities": ["AUSTIN"], "permitType": "battery", "outputMode": "permits", "dateFrom": "2026-08-01", "maxItems": 500 }
```

Top installers by permit count in Austin and Seattle since 2025:

```json
{ "cities": ["AUSTIN", "SEATTLE"], "permitType": "both", "outputMode": "installerSummary", "dateFrom": "2025-01-01", "maxItems": 30 }
```

Solar permits in a few San Francisco ZIP codes:

```json
{ "cities": ["SAN_FRANCISCO"], "permitType": "solar", "outputMode": "permits", "dateFrom": "2026-01-01", "zipCodes": ["94110", "94112", "94116"], "maxItems": 200 }
```

One installer's permits in Seattle:

```json
{ "cities": ["SEATTLE"], "outputMode": "permits", "dateFrom": "2025-01-01", "contractorContains": "puget sound solar", "maxItems": 200 }
```

### Output

#### Permit record (`permits` mode)

```json
{
  "city": "San Francisco",
  "state": "CA",
  "permitId": "E202610263592",
  "permitType": "Electrical",
  "category": "solar+battery",
  "status": "issued",
  "appliedDate": "2026-10-26",
  "issueDate": "2026-10-26",
  "zipCode": "94122",
  "systemSizeKw": 8.36,
  "batteryKwh": 13.5,
  "valuationUsd": null,
  "contractor": null,
  "source": {
    "publisher": "San Francisco Department of Building Inspection",
    "dataset": "Electrical Permits (legacy system)",
    "datasetId": "ftty-kx6y",
    "url": "https://data.sf.gov/d/ftty-kx6y",
    "license": "ODC Public Domain Dedication and License (PDDL) 1.0"
  },
  "retrievedAt": "2026-11-05T03:05:08.916Z"
}
```

Rows also carry `sector`, `workClass`, `completedDate` and `contractorTrade` (null where a city does not publish them).

#### Installer ranking row (`installerSummary` mode)

```json
{
  "city": "Austin",
  "state": "TX",
  "contractor": "Base Power",
  "permits": 613,
  "firstIssueDate": "2026-03-05",
  "lastIssueDate": "2026-11-03",
  "filters": { "permitType": "both", "dateFrom": "2025-01-01", "dateTo": null, "zipCodes": [] },
  "source": {
    "publisher": "City of Austin, Development Services",
    "dataset": "Issued Construction Permits",
    "url": "https://data.austintexas.gov/d/3syk-w9eu",
    "license": "Public domain (City of Austin Open Data Terms of Use)"
  },
  "retrievedAt": "2026-11-05T03:05:35.910Z"
}
```

#### Sample output: top installers by permit count, issued 2025-01-01 to 2026-11-03

| City | Contractor | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Base Power (battery permits only) | 613 |
| Austin | Power Home Remodeling | 302 |
| Austin | Horus Partners | 222 |
| Seattle | sunergy systems | 168 |
| Seattle | Puget Sound Solar | 144 |
| Seattle | A\&R SOLAR CORP | 141 |

### Pricing and cost estimate

Pay per event. No subscription and no Apify platform usage charges.

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Run start | $0.005 |
| Permit record | $0.002 ($2.00 per 1,000) |
| Installer ranking row | $0.005 |

| What you run | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 permit records | $0.21 |
| 1,000 permit records | $2.01 |
| Every matching Austin permit since 2025-01-01 (about 2,600) | $5.17 |
| All three cities since 2025-01-01 (about 5,800) | $11.52 |
| Top 30 installer ranking | $0.16 |

The run start event is charged once per GB of memory, minimum once. At the default 512 MB that is a single $0.005 charge. `maxItems` caps the number of rows, so it also caps what you pay. You can also set a maximum charge per run in Apify Console.

### FAQ

**Can I use this data commercially?**
The three source datasets are public domain (Austin, Seattle) or ODC PDDL 1.0 (San Francisco). Austin's terms ask for attribution; see the Attribution section for the wording. Seattle's terms say a list of individuals taken from city data may not be used for a commercial purpose, which is why personal names are removed. This is not legal advice.

**How fresh is it?**
Each run queries the city portals live. In November 2026, Austin and Seattle rows were refreshed daily and San Francisco's most recent refresh was the day before. The newest permits are usually one or two days old.

**Why is system size empty on many rows?**
Size is parsed from the free-text description and many permits do not state it. For permits issued from 2025-01-01 to early November 2026, kW was found on 42% of Austin, 68% of Seattle and 68% of San Francisco rows.

**Why can't I get $/W?**
The cities' valuation fields are often $1 or other placeholders. The Actor returns those as null. For installed cost, use the NY/CT/OR installations Actor linked below, which reads incentive-program records with real project costs.

**Why is San Francisco missing from installer rankings?**
San Francisco's legacy electrical permit dataset has no contractor column. Permit rows are still returned.

**Is every row really solar or storage?**
No. Matching is on keywords in free text, so a few rows are other work: intercoms with battery backup, telecom battery cabinets, UPS replacements, an address on Seattle's Battery Street. Filter on `category` and `permitType` before you count.

**Is a permit the same as an installation?**
No. Permits can be withdrawn or never inspected, and one job can need more than one permit. Use the `status` field and treat counts as permit activity, not finished systems.

**How do I see the full permit record?**
Look up the permit ID on the city portal. The Actor does not return links to permit pages.

### Related Actor

Need installed cost and system size from state incentive programs instead of city permits? [Solar Installer Rankings & PV Install Data (NY, CT, OR)](https://apify.com/sublime_maypop/us-solar-installations-data) returns project records with kW, $/W and installer market share for New York, Connecticut and Oregon. It covers different places than this Actor, so there is no overlap.

### Attribution

Data is modified from its original sources. The cities make no claims about accuracy or completeness.

- Austin: City of Austin, Development Services Department, Issued Construction Permits, data.austintexas.gov.
- Seattle: Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections, Electrical Permits, data.seattle.gov.
- San Francisco: San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, Electrical Permits (legacy system), data.sf.gov.

# Actor input Schema

## `cities` (type: `array`):

City permit datasets to query.

## `permitType` (type: `string`):

Keyword match on the work description: solar PV, battery storage, or both.

## `outputMode` (type: `string`):

'permits' = one row per permit. 'installerSummary' = permit count per contractor per city (Austin and Seattle only; San Francisco publishes no contractor).

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Filter by permit issue date. Permits not yet issued are excluded when set.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Upper bound of the issue date filter.

## `zipCodes` (type: `array`):

Only permits in these 5-digit ZIP codes.

## `contractorContains` (type: `string`):

Case-insensitive substring of the contractor company name (Austin, Seattle).

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum dataset items across all cities (you are charged per item).

## `requestsPerSecond` (type: `integer`):

Politeness limit toward the city portals.

## `socrataAppToken` (type: `string`):

Optional free token from dev.socrata.com for higher throttling limits.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "cities": [
    "AUSTIN"
  ],
  "permitType": "both",
  "outputMode": "permits",
  "dateFrom": "2025-01-01",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "requestsPerSecond": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `permits` (type: `string`):

Permit records view

## `installers` (type: `string`):

Installer summary view

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

RUN_SUMMARY record with per-city stats

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "cities": [
        "AUSTIN"
    ],
    "dateFrom": "2025-01-01",
    "maxItems": 100
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "cities": ["AUSTIN"],
    "dateFrom": "2025-01-01",
    "maxItems": 100,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "cities": [
    "AUSTIN"
  ],
  "dateFrom": "2025-01-01",
  "maxItems": 100
}' |
apify call sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,sublime_maypop/us-solar-permits-data"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/quZWj0SYJYlv4Obos/builds/1fzXufSu2mt1yjAfY/openapi.json