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TOOLKIT DOCUMENT #5 Structural Criteria for Residential Rooftop Solar Energy Installations Your City logo here Use of this document This toolkit document includes a one-page list of structural criteria for over-the-counter or online approval, as well as attached tables and figures that supplement the criteria and explain their use. This document applies to flush-mounted solar arrays installed on the roofs of wood-framed one- and two- family dwellings. “Flush-mounted” means the modules are installed parallel to, and relatively close to, the roof surface (see the “Solar Array Check” section of the Structural Criteria for specific qualifying requirements). This list is intended to be a simple pre-installation check to gain reasonable assurance that the design of the solar array complies with the structural provisions of the 2013 California Building Code (CBC) and 2013 California Residential Code (CRC). It is not intended to provide post-installation inspection criteria. Currently Used Expedited Solar Permitting Approaches This document is intended for jurisdictions without an expedited process for residential solar structural permitting, and is not intended to replace or supplant procedures for jurisdictions with an expedited process already in place. Good examples from jurisdictions with provisions for expedited structural permitting include the City of Los Angeles, which exempts residential solar installations from structural permitting if five simple requirements are met, and the East Bay Green Corridor’s streamlined solar permitting process, which uses structural criteria tailored to typical conditions for that consortium of nine cities. Regional and Site Assumptions This document is based on the following regional and site assumptions: • The dwelling is located in a ZERO snow load area (see Map 1). • The dwelling is not in Wind Exposure D (within 200 yards of the ocean or a large coastal bay). • If in Wind Exposure B (urban, suburban or wooded areas), the dwelling may be located: – in a Special Wind Region (see Map 2) with design wind speeds between 110 and 130 mph, or –on a tall hill, provided average slope is no steeper than 15%. • If in Wind Exposure C (within 500 yards of large open fields or grasslands), the dwelling is: –in a standard 110 mph design wind speed region, and –not on a hill with a grade steeper than 5%. Additional Options The Chief Building Official (CBO) may consider adding rows to the structural criteria, based on personal judgment and their jurisdiction’s conditions and history. Possible additional questions include: • Regional and Site Checks – If the jurisdiction is in a mixed snow load area, with zero snow load only at lower elevations, consider asking “is the dwelling lower than elevation ___ feet?” (Introductory text provided for jurisdiction’s reference only. Do not attach to Criteria that follow.) 2009 W Adams St 08/01/23