Renewable Energy and Jurisdiction Requirements: Photovoltaics

Benefits, Considerations, and Preparation for Photovoltaics

By Jonathan Maxwell, PE | Senior Discipline Engineer, Electrical Engineering

As renewable energy becomes more prevalent in our mission to find alternate means to supply electricity, the industry comes into its own for production and granularity. Using photovoltaic power (i.e. solar panels) to produce renewable energy is a mature growing field and does not seem to show any signs of slowing down.

Energy Codes

Many jurisdictions are now implementing requirements for renewable energy as a part of new construction. For example, Washington and California both have energy codes (the Washington State Non-Residential Energy Code and California’s Title 24, Chapter 6) that specify a minimum renewable energy requirement by wattage per square foot (WPSF) for new buildings.

Many will turn to photovoltaic power as a simple and effective solution to meet these needs for new construction. In some instances, such as the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), even if photovoltaic systems are not installed, the design team is required to set aside a portion of the rooftop for future photovoltaic systems.

It can be challenging to navigate what is needed for new construction projects based on the jurisdiction; however, Coffman has extensive experience in this field, working with many jurisdictions nationwide so that new construction projects consider renewable energy options as required utility considerations.

Benefits

There are several benefits to using photovoltaic power as a renewable energy source, one being on-site power generation to offset power consumption for a building. A building owner can reduce or even eliminate their power consumption depending on the system sizes. Some utilities will also pay the building owner back for providing power generation back to the grid, with certain limitations.

It is important to engage a representative from the serving utility early in the process to understand limitations and discuss possibilities for the utility to provide incentives and rebates. This will help offset the up-front costs of construction. Many serving utilities actively encourage on-site power generation, as the reduction in added load to the grid translates to more manageable maintenance of transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Utilities will often have differing requirements for the method of connecting the photovoltaic system to the building’s electrical service. They may require a separate meter or disconnecting means, which is why early engagement with the utility can be essential to have these requirements baked into the design.

Spatial Considerations and Density

When planning for a photovoltaic system, rooftops are often the optimal location for consideration in the facility. The IFC has access requirements and minimum distance separations from other rooftop systems. The weight, orientation, position, and angle relative to the sun during daylight hours are all factors in design to provide maximum photovoltaic power output for an installed system. Access and maintainability are also important factors. With all of these considerations in mind, it is important to develop layouts hand-in-hand with the building design to ease the integration into the building.

Preparation for Future Photovoltaic

While not all buildings or jurisdictions may require day one installation of photovoltaic systems, it can be a small up-front cost to provide infrastructure for future photovoltaic systems as part of a new building. For the design team, this can be achieved with some considerations:

• Solar Ready Area: The design team should outline the future photovoltaic area to consider future clearances and effective areas for panels. A location for a future inverter should also be planned.
• Structural Design: The structural engineer should also be involved in area selection, as the location on the roof will have to accommodate an additional deadload for future photovoltaic systems. The tilt angle as well as snow and wind loads may also need to be considered.
• Electrical Design: The electrical system should be designed with infrastructure in place to allow for future photovoltaic systems. This often means installing pathways from the main electrical service to the roof, allowing for a disconnect location and utility production meter.

There are considerable considerations when working with renewable energy. With jurisdictions and utilities requiring and encouraging solar more often, more attention is needed in new building designs to allow for renewable systems. Coffman, with many collective years of experience, can make adding renewable energy to your new building during the design process a smooth process, allowing the building to become a member of the renewable energy production world.