Equation 9-5

Any obstruction that is not located on the roof or another part of the building, such as landscaping or neighboring building, or is oriented north of all points of the solar zone is not subject to the shading requirement.

9.8.5.3 Solar Zone Structural Design Loads

The structural design load requirements apply if any portion of the solar zone is located on the roof of the building. For the areas of the roof designated as the solar zone, the structural design loads for roof dead load and roof live load shall be clearly indicated on the construction documents. This is required so that the structural loads are known if a solar energy system is installed in the future.

The Energy Standards do not require estimating the loads of possible future solar equipment.

9.8.5.4 Interconnection Pathways

All buildings that include a solar zone must also include a plan for connecting a PV or SWH system to the electrical or plumbing system of the building. The construction documents must indicate:

1. A location for inverters and metering equipment for future solar electric systems. The allocated space should be appropriately sized for a PV system that could cover the entire solar zone.

2. A pathway for routing conduit from the solar zone to the point of interconnection with the electrical service. The design drawings must show where the conduit would be installed if a system were installed at a future date. There is no requirement to install conduit.

3. A pathway for routing plumbing from the solar zone to the water-heating system connection. The design drawings must show where the plumbing would be installed if a SWH system were installed at a future date. There is no requirement to install piping.

This requirement is not applicable if compliance is achieved by using Exceptions 1, 2, or 4 in lieu of a designated solar zone.

9.8.5.5 Documentation for the Building Occupant

A copy of the construction documents that show the solar zone, the structural design loads, and the interconnection pathways must be provided to the building occupant. The building occupant must also receive a copy of compliance document NRCC-SRA-E. The document copies are required so that the solar-ready information is available if the occupant decides to install a solar energy system in the future. This requirement is not applicable if compliance is achieved by using Exceptions 1, 2, or 4 in lieu of a designated solar zone.

Example 9-19:

Question:

An office building has a total roof area of 5,000 sq. ft. The total roof area covered by skylights is 200 sq. ft. A solar PV system with a DC power rating (measured under standard test conditions) of 4 kilowatts (kW) will be installed. The collection panels for the 4 kW system will cover 400 sq. ft. Does the building have to have to include a solar zone in addition to the installed solar PV system?

Answer:

Yes. To be exempt from the solar zone requirement, the solar PV system must have a power rating equal to 1 watt for every sq. ft of roof area, or in this case 5 kW (see equation below).

The minimum solar zone for this building is 720 sq. ft (See calculation below.) The 400 sq. ft on which the solar PV system is installed does count toward the minimum solar zone area, so an additional 320 sq. ft would need to be allocated to complete the minimum solar zone requirement.

9.8.6 Additions

The solar-ready requirements for additions are covered by the Energy Standards in §141.0(a). Additions do not need to comply with the solar-ready requirements unless the addition increases the roof area by more than 2,000 sq. ft. (200 sq. meters).

9.8.7 California Fire Code Solar Access Requirements

Following regulations established by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the 2016 version of Parts 2, 2.5, and 9 of Title 24 include requirements for installing rooftop solar photovoltaic systems. These regulations cover the marking and location of DC conductors and access and pathways for photovoltaic systems. They apply to residential and nonresidential buildings regulated by Title 24 of the California Building Standards Codes. Provided below is a summary of the fire code requirements for nonresidential buildings.

PV arrays shall not have dimensions in either axis that exceed 150 ft. Nonresidential buildings shall provide a 6-foot-wide access perimeter around the edges of the roof. Smoke ventilation options must exist between array installations and next to skylights or smoke and heat vents. Builders shall refer directly to the relevant sections of Title 24 (Part 2: Section 3111, Part 2.5 Section R331, and Part 9 Section 903.3) for detailed requirements.

9.8.8 Compliance and Enforcement

At the time a building permit application is submitted to the enforcement agency, the applicant also submits plans and energy compliance documentation. This section describes the documents and procedures for documenting compliance with the solar-ready requirements of the Energy Standards. The following discussion pertains to the designer preparing construction and compliance documents and to enforcement agency plan checkers who are examining those documents for compliance with the Energy Standards.

There are three documents to demonstrate compliance with the nonresidential solar ready requirements. Each document is briefly described below.

o This document is required for every project where the solar-ready requirements apply: newly constructed hotel/motel buildings with 10 or fewer stories, high-rise multifamily buildings with 10 or fewer stories, all other newly constructed nonresidential buildings with 3 or fewer stories, and additions to the previously mentioned buildings that increase the roof area by more than 2,000 sq. ft. This form is required for all covered occupancies, including projects that use any of the solar zone exceptions.

o This document is required when using solar zone Exception 1 to achieve compliance.

o This document is required when using solar zone Exception 2 to achieve compliance.