7.1 Overview
Chapter 7 describes the compliance requirements for photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery storage systems, and solar and battery ready for newly constructed single-family residential buildings. The prescriptive PV requirement sets the standard design budget for the performance compliance method. Installation of battery storage system is a compliance option, and this chapter describes the qualification requirement for this credit. The requirements for solar ready buildings are mandatory measures for newly constructed single-family residential buildings that do not have a PV system due to an exception in Section 150.1(c)14. The solar ready requirement is implemented when designing the building’s rooftop and associated equipment. The intent is to reserve a penetration-free and shade-free portion of the roof for the potential future installation of a solar energy system. There are no requirements to install panels, conduit, piping, or mounting hardware.
For information about solar water heating system, please see Chapter 5.
7.1.1 What’s new for 2022
7.1.1.1 Mandatory Measures
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Energy Storage System (ESS) ready is now required for all single-family buildings with one or two dwelling units. See Section 7.8 for details.
7.1.1.2 Prescriptive & Performance Compliance
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Revised exceptions to the PV requirement for buildings with limited Solar Access Roof Area (SARA), enforcement-authority-approved roof designs in areas with high snow loads, designs approved by the local planning department prior to January 1, 2020 with mandatory conditions for approval, and some buildings with battery storage.
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An additional control strategy was added to Joint Appendix JA12 for Separate Battery Storage Systems when battery systems are installed separate from on-site PV systems.