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Solar Installed

The People and the Process enabling Market Acceptance and Installations

August 30, 2016

About SEIA• U.S. National Trade Association for Solar Energy

• Founded in 1974• 1,000 member companies from all 50 states

• Our Mission: Build a strong solar industry to power America

• Our Goal: 100 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2020

August 30, 2016 © 2016 Solar Energy Industries Association® 2

Speakers

Mostafa Kashe,

Chief Electrical Inspector,

County of LA Department of Public Works

Evelyn M. ButlerSEIA

Director, Codes & Standards

Don HughesCodes & Standards Specialist, Center for Sustainable Energy

August 30, 2016 3© 2016 Solar Energy Industries Association®

Joseph Cain, P.E.

Chair, SEIA Codes & Standards Working Group

Thomas KiggenSEIA

Director, Membership

Keith Lofland, Director of Education,

International Association of

Electrical Inspectors

(IAEI)

Agenda

• How Codes & Standards Come Together at Installation

• Tools & Best Practices• A Day in the Life of a Building

Inspector• Continued Professional

Development & Collaboration with the Solar Industry

August 30, 2016 4© 2016 Solar Energy Industries Association®

How Codes & Standards Come Together at InstallationJoe Cain, P.E.Chair, SEIA Codes & Standards Working Group

International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1

• Rooftop access pathways and fire setbacks – IFC Section 605.11– NFPA 1 Section 11.12

• Residential– Access pathways to ridge– Setbacks at ridge– 2015 IRC Section 324.7 printed in error

• Nonresidential (low-slope)– Perimeter & interior pathways– Smoke & heat vents; hatches; skylights


PV Standards System Reference (Courtesy of UL)


PV Modules• UL 1703• UL/IEC 61215• UL/IEC 61646• UL/IEC 62108• IEC 61730• UL-SU 8703

BIPV• UL 1703 / UL 790

Connector• UL 6703

Fuse• UL-SU 2579

Fuse Holder• UL-SU 4248-18• ANSI-UL4248-1

Combiner Box

Charge Controller

Inverter

BatteriesAC Loads

Grid Tied or Stand Alone

Many of the components or functions can be built into one product, such as the inverter.

PV Modules w/ Junction Box

Rack Mounting & Clamping Devices• UL 2703

Solar Trackers• UL 3703

Fire Test• UL 1703(roof mounted modules)

Polymeric Materials• UL 1703• UL 94• UL-SU5703• UL 746A/B/C

Roof or Ground mounted

Cable for PV• UL 4703• UL 9703• UL854 (USE-2)

Combiner Box• UL 1741

Charge Controller• UL 1741

Inverter• UL 1741• UL/IEC 62109 (PV+ only)• IEEE 1547

Storage• UL 1989• UL 2054• UL 9540• UL 1973

Disconnects• UL-SU 98B• UL-SU 508i

Circuit Breakers• UL 489B

Arc Fault Protection• UL 1699B

Required UL Standards and Fire Classification

Brief overview of key standard considerations demonstrated on plans:• Photovoltaic panels listed to UL 1703• Photovoltaic panel (module) is “type-rated” by

construct, spread-of-flame, and burning brand• Photovoltaic panel system is tested, listed, and

labeled with a fire classification per UL 1703 (fire test protocol is intended to be moved to UL 2703)

• Grounding and bonding per UL 2703• Inverters, combiner boxes, charge controllers

listed to UL 1741• In development for future version of UL 1741:

Rapid Shutdown System (RSS) requirements


NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code (NEC)

Brief overview of key electrical considerations demonstrated on plans:• AC/DC conductor size and type per NEC Chapter 3, 690.7, 690.8,

and 690.31• If micro-inverters or AC modules installed, quantities per branch

circuit are in accordance with NEC 690.8 and manufacturer’s installation instructions

• Required disconnecting means per NEC Sections 690.13 through 690.17 and/or utility

• Marking and labeling per NEC Sections 690.17, 690.31, 690.53, and 690.56

• Location and rating of PV system over-current protection per NEC 690.8 and 705.12

• Rapid Shutdown System (RSS) per NEC Section 690.12• Future 2017 NEC, 2018 IFC, and 2018 NFPA 1 will have RSS-

specific labeling required


Calculation of Wind Pressure: ASCE 7-10 and ICC-ES AC 428

• Determine design wind speed and calculate design wind pressures using ASCE 7-10

• ICC Evaluation Services Acceptance Criteria AC 428: Acceptance Criteria for Modular Framing Systems Used To Support Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

• AC 428 is required to obtain an ICC-ES Evaluation Report; it is also useful as voluntary guidance

• AC 428 allows internal pressure set equal to zero (within constraints) in Components & Cladding method

• In future ASCE 7-16, there will be a calculation method specific to “flush mounted” PV systems on sloping “pitched” roofs

August 30, 2016 © 2016 Solar Energy Industries Association®

Structural Considerations: IBC, IRC, National Design Specification

Rooftop installations: • Live load offset

– IBC Section 1607.12.5 (24” threshold)

– IRC Section R324.4.1• Rafter and/or truss check per National

Design Specification (NDS)• Determine quantity and spacing of array

structural attachments appropriate for the mounting system and the building

• Attachment and weather sealing detail must be included on plan


Solar Heating and Cooling (Solar Thermal): IPC and IMC

Solar Heating & Cooling (SHC) aka “Solar thermal”• Solar thermal panels• Storage tanks• Heat exchangers• Roof anchors for fall

protection


Tools and Best Practices – Expedited PermittingDon Hughes, Codes & Standards SpecialistCenter for Sustainable [email protected]

Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE)


California Solar Permitting Guidebook


“The Qualifying Box”

• PV & SHW• Less than 10 kW or 30 kWth (SHW)• Rooftop installations • String inverter, micro inverter, or DC converter (PV)• Complies with eligibility checklist• Installed on a single or duplex family dwelling

90% of all installed systems


PV toolkit Document #1


PV toolkit Document #1, Section 1


PV Toolkit Document 1, section #2


PV Toolkit Document #1, section #3








PV Toolkit Document #2




PV Toolkit Document #3 equipment specifics


























PV Toolkit Document #7 inspection checklist


PV Toolkit Document #7, inspection checklist


A Day in Life of a Building / Electrical InspectorMostafa Kashe, Chief Electrical Inspector and EngineerCounty of Los Angeles, Department of Public [email protected]

County o f Los Angeles

Bui ld ing and Safety

E lectr ical Sect ion

Mostafa Kashe,

Chief E lect r ica l Inspector and Engineer

The day starts early in the office and can include a wild combination of:

General Customer Service ~ Voicemails, Emails, Messages, Phone Calls, etc.

Plan Check: Over the Counter Review, Electronic Submittals, and Hard Copy Paper Submittals

Permit Issuance

Inspections

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The County of Los Angeles offers 3 approaches to Solar PV Plan Check 1) Electronic Plan Check

2) Over the Counter Plan Check

3) Paper Submittals for Plan Check

There are currently FIVE Electrical Section members who share the responsibility of PV plan check for all of LA County

No matter the method selected, the plan check is completed well within the 1-3 days required by AB2188 A large percentage of the plans are even reviewed the same day!

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Typical morning at the Building & Safety Headquarters Office during counter plan check hours

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Benefits to E-Plan Check Completely eliminates excess paper waste

No driving to the HQ office to have plans reviewed

Allows for easy tracking and organization for both the applicant and the plan reviewer managing multiple jobs at one time

Automatically creates a digital record of approved plans

E-Plan Check does involve an added “processing” time Submittals are considered temporary until the documents and application are screened by a

staff member and converted to a true permit application (with the help of a permit technician)

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Counter plan check is offered Mon–Thurs 7–11am Staff members rotate assigned days to serve the public counter Compared to E-Plan check, the plans are reviewed on the spot;

however, this method misses out on all other benefits of E-Plan check

Paper plan submission is also an option, though not commonly chosen by applicants

Some statistics for reference… So far for 2016: ~82% of plan submittals have been via the E-Plan system ~13.5% of plans are reviewed during counter hours < 5% of plans are hard copies submitted for review There has been an average of ~235 plans reviewed per week

(That’s roughly 12 plans per person per day)

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Accomplishing so many plan checks per week is a challenge

The County of LA has implemented multiple means to facilitate this load: Adopted “Tool Kit” documents following the AB2188 templates

(General information, Electrical and Structural plan check forms, and Inspection guides/checklists)

Online plan check system available for all offices

Online payment available for County Unincorporated District Offices

Link: Tool kit docs

Link: Online Plan Check 49

The County of LA has implemented multiple means to facilitate this load (continued):

Each plan reviewer was matched to a solar company to be their “dedicated assistant” should there be any questions/concerns with LA County procedures and requirements

The County website provides up to date installation instructions to the public for the LA County Recognized UL2703 Racking Systems

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The infamous AB2188 and its 1-3 day turnaround requirement is limited to projects meeting the “Small PV” definition

The County applies the same timeline to jobs that are outside of the AB2188 guidelines that may include: Systems larger than 10 kW

Systems that require de-rated main breakers

Systems that involve main panel upgrades

Plans may be submitted on either the Standard Tool Kit Documents or any company’s own design Review time is the same for either format

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Permit issuance is completed at the local field office and can be done at anytime throughout the day

The County uses a flat rate for both plan check and permit fees for all systems up to 15 kW A standard fee helps applicants anticipate costs

The total cost comes in below the maximum set forth by SB1222 and AB2188

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Calls to request an inspection can be made at any time Phone Messages are taken once inspectors have left for the field

Voicemail/Email requests may also be left for an inspector

The response time to an inspection depends on the total number of requests for an area An request for inspection is answered on the following business day

Inspection times begin around 9 am and can last through the end of the day An inspector can regularly have up to 10 inspections per day!

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Given the number of plans approved per week, there is usually about the same number of PV inspections per week

To help ease the inspection process, the Inspection Guideline is available publicly on the County Website Provides the inspector with a focused checklist

Gives installers an idea of what the inspectors will be looking for

Link: Inspection Guide

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The County of LA offers an option for one inspection as long as the installers are able to provide video/photo evidence of the information concealed by nature of the installation (the module’s nameplate data for example)

Installers otherwise can opt for a “rough” and then a “final” inspection Typically on two consecutive days

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Rough inspection

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Final Inspection

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On any inspection, first impressions are key! One of the first things to look for is actually applicable to all inspections: The installation shall be done in a neat and workmanlike manner .

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There’s also plenty of equipment to check when on a job site.

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Modules

Microinverters

Racking System

Disconnects

Central Inverters

Plus:Conductors, Connectors, Conduit, J-box, etc…

The base objective of the inspection is a matching game between the installation and the approved plans!

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Remember to always keep an eye out for working space and clearance requirements!

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When all inspections are done, one last trip to the office is needed to document and log all the updates for the day

With all inspections done and updates properly filed, there is just enough time to peek at the requests for tomorrow when we do it all again!

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Continued Professional Development and Collaboration with the Solar Industry Keith Lofland, Director of EducationInternational Association of Electrical [email protected]

Continued Professional Development and Collaboration with the Solar Industry

Presentation by:International Association of Electrical Inspectors

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code ®

• IAEI promotes the use and adoption of the latest NEC

Other IAEI Educational Publications

• IAEI’s Soares Grounding and Bonding• IAEI’s One and Two Family Dwelling Systems• IAEI’s Hazardous (Classified) Locations• IAEI’s Photovoltaic System Requirements• IAEI’s Swimming Pools• IAEI’s Health Care Facilities• IAEI’s Common Code Calculations• IAEI’s Electrical Service Inspections• IAEI’s Motor Installations• IAEI’s Transformer Installations

The NFPA Revision Process- NFPA 70

• 2017 NEC First Draft meeting– Public Inputs (4102 total)– First Draft (1233 First Revisions)

• 2017 NEC Second Draft meeting– Public Comments (1513 total)– Second Draft (559 Second Revisions)

• The NFPA Standards Council will issue the 2017 NEC in August 2016 with a publication date of September of 2016

• IAEI supports this process with 38 members who represent the interest of the inspection community (CMP 4- covers PV)

How the NEC Applies to the Solar Industry

• IAEI utilizes various training material to train inspectors and installers as to the proper installation requirements of the NEC

• An understanding of the pertinent articles that apply to PV installations found within the NEC is crucial to having a safe and compliant electrical system

• IAEI supports and promotes consistency in understanding and applying the requirements of the NEC

• The following are examples of the illustrations that IAEI uses to provide this training

Photovoltaic Online Training

• IAEI has been involved in the development and updating of the Photovoltaic Online Training program (PVOT)

• IAEI provided training to regional providers to discuss the training material and answer questions from the instructors

• IAEI provided subject matter experts to help in the development of the PVOT material and to review the final product prior to going live

• IAEI provides a certification to individuals who successfully complete the program upon notification from that individual

Solar Training and Education for Professionals (STEP) Program

• IAEI is currently involved with IREC in the development of training material for this grant provide by the Department of Energy (DOE)

• IAEI is excited to be in partnership with IREC, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Association of State Fire Marshalls (NASFM), and the International Code Council’s Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (ICC-SRCC)

• IAEI is currently working with IREC and other partners on a Plan Review module as well as another future module to educate inspection department personnel and installers throughout the country

IAEI Industry Partners

• IAEI has many industry partners who provide material or promote solar installations

• These partners provide valuable insight into industry products that are or are becoming available for use in the electrical industry

• Through these partnerships IAEI is able to bring the entire electrical industry into their meeting and distribute and discuss electrical information to all aspects of the industry

Continuing Education for Inspectors

• IAEI provides continuing education for electrical inspectors who need electrical training or require continuing education for certification renewal

• We provide this training in person or via online training

• This training is available at various IAEI section, chapter or division meeting in an area near you

• IAEI will also come to your location to conduct training specific to your needs

• Our CEU’s are accepted by many state or industry entities

Becoming an Electrical Inspectors

• Becoming an electrical inspector can be a rewarding career move• It's not as taxing physically as being an electrician, but it's more demanding mentally• Look for a city that employs specific construction trade inspectors rather than

“combination” inspectors• I would suggest the IAEI’s Electrical Inspectors General Certification as a starting

point• A more advanced electrical inspector’s certification program is IAEI’s Certified

Electrical Inspector (CEI) certification program• You can find all the information you need concerning IAEI’s electrical inspector

certification programs on our website at www.iaei.org

Importance and Benefits of IAEI

• IAEI offers everyone a level, nom-combative environment to meet and discuss the requirements of electrical installations and code compliance

• These meetings allow you to meet and discuss issues that effect you face-to-face with industry experts

• Members of IAEI receive a bi-monthly magazine throughout the year with articles that further take the mystery out of various electrical issues

• Members receive a free National Electric Code book upon three years of concurrent membership

• IAEI members build strong working bonds for a lifetime (members can call each other for advice or the International Office)

In Conclusion

• IAEI is well respected in the electrical industry and can provide the electrical training as well as the recognized certifications that attendees need and desire

• IAEI has many partners (such as IREC) in which we can provide PV training requirements based on various codes and standards

• IAEI brings the inspectors, installers, manufacturers, and others from the electrical industry into meetings where electrical training takes place and questions are asked and answered

• IAEI members build great bonds and friendships

Continued Professional Development and Collaboration with the Solar Industry

Presentation by:International Association of Electrical Inspectors

Thanks for Participating

SEIA Engagement

Codes & Standards Working Group

• Member and industry driven initiatives focused on existing, new and upcoming new codes and standards proposals and requirements

• Meets bi-weekly by teleconference, in-person at Solar Power International


SEIA Membership & Benefits

• Market & industry intelligence and research• Powerful advocacy and influence• New business development opportunities• Tools and programs to advance your business

• Upcoming SEIA Codes & Standards Events:

• Exploring the Rules of Engagement: An Introduction to Codes & Standards and the State of Regulations for Designing and Installing Solar (SPI)


Q&A


SEIA Contacts

Membership:Thomas Kiggen,Director of MembershipE-mail: [email protected]: +1-202-540-5347

Codes & Standards:Evelyn M. ButlerDirector of Codes & StandardsE-mail: [email protected]: +1-202-681-4156


Thank you for attending!