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SOLAR PANELS

Question asked by jokaestill on Feb 6, 2018
Latest reply on Feb 15, 2018 by chiefns830

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My question concerns residential solar electrical panel arrays.

The city inspector of Maitland, FL, required the 2 arrays on my son's roof be moved so as not to be above the eaves of the house. The installer complied, but remarked to me that he hadn't had that requirement in other jurisdictions which got me to thinking that NFPA/NEC probably has, or is developing standards for such systems.

Going down the list of NFPA standards, I didn't find any that applied. I did notice on their site that there is work in progress in the area of ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS that may want to include this technology.

I believe there should be nationally recognized standards for these increasingly popular power sources.

JOSEPH ESTILL

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cdafd Feb 6, 2018 4:17 PM
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1. Not sure what you mean about "not to be above the eaves "

2. Sounds like something out of a building code requirement.

3. Someone should have asked to see the city requirement in writing, before any move.

Problem with the USA, is it is a free country and each state and sometimes city has their own rules.
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- jokaestill @ cdafd on Feb 6, 2018 4:47 PM
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  The panels are on a pitched roof that has overhang. Apparently city reg’s don’t allow anything on the overhang. I agree the installer should have checked first.
  My background is project mgt and NFPA compliance was the rule. Even residential construction follows National Building Code, part of the nfpa system.
  I’m just asking that they get going on this omission.
  
  Sent from my iPhone
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  - cdafd @ jokaestill on Feb 6, 2018 4:51 PM
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    If the city does not allow it,,, It should be part of the adopted building code,
    
    So people can see it in writing, and also if it is not in writing, it cannot be enforced.
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brian.baughman Feb 7, 2018 10:46 AM
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NEC Articles 690 and 705 would apply. If the home utilizes any storage batteries with the solar array, then Articles 480 and 706 apply. If the house is entirely off-grid, then NEC Article 710 applies too.

As for the placement of the solar array, the city or county probably has ordinances that apply to the installation, and the installer should of checked with the AHJ first before installing.
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lutzr Feb 8, 2018 10:06 AM
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There are plenty of standards. Solar panels fall under a broader category of renewable energy which covers a much broader scope.
As far as the location, I cannot think of a "electrical" reason. Maybe a structural? Maybe it is as simple as a clearance issue or a fire department issue??
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chiefns830 Feb 15, 2018 8:39 PM
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It sounds like the city inspector is doing a good job. He's not making up any rules.

The requirements are found in the International Fire Code (IFC), Section 605, I believe. Without getting all into all of it these codes require <in general, for dwellings>:

Access/Pathways:
Residential Buildings with hip roof layouts: Modules should be located in a
manner that provides one (1) three-foot (3’) wide clear access pathway from the
eave to the ridge on each roof slope where modules are located. The access
pathway should be located at a structurally strong location on the building (such
as a bearing wall).

Residential Buildings with a single ridge: Modules should be located in a manner
that provides two (2) three-foot (3’) wide access pathways from the eave to the
ridge on each roof slope where modules are located.

Hips and Valleys: Modules should be located no closer than one and one half
(1.5) feet to a hip or a valley if modules are to be placed on both sides of a hip or
valley. If the modules are to be located on only one side of a hip or valley that is
of equal length then the modules may be placed directly adjacent to the hip or
valley.

Smoke Ventilation:
The modules should be located no higher than three feet (3’) below the ridge.

For commercial buildings there are more stringent requirements and I'm not going to list them all here. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked requirements when it comes to solar installations on people's homes. Most solar contractors that I deal with have never even heard of requirements for location of arrays (well, maybe one or two). If one does this type of work, or if one inspects this type of work, I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with these requirements.

Also, IMHO most cities and counties issue solar permits incorrectly. A diagram of the location of the solar panels should be provided, and it should go through plan review. If the AJH is selling solar permits over the counter, then they will have problems. If the panels are in the wrong place when the inspector gets there, it is a huge, huge problem to fix at that point in time.
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