Quote:
Originally Posted by ME_Andy
John (or anybody else), do you have any advice/links to the requirements for a solar installation in Austin? I'm thinking about a gazebo with solar in the back yard. I'm not sure if that's going to require a structural analysis, etc.
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The final say on requirements is the always local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Before I considered installing a PV system, I went to my local village building department and asked for their requirements. Before my wife and I bought our second property, I went to the town office and asked specifically about permit requirements. In that case, I also emailed the power company serving the property and asked about their requirements for PV installations. In both instances, I was greeted with welcome reception from the building department officials and the power company. Both willingly provided the answers to the questions I had. Some answers were beyond my knowledge at the time, but I made notes and researched what they said. While I was installing my PV array, I had multiple discussions with the gentleman in the building department handling my permit and the electrical inspection portion of my permit. When it comes down to the labeling on the disconnect box, the NEC leaves the final discretion to the AHJ, and I didn't want to delay my inspections going round and round with labeling. It was much easier to go ask what specific labeling the inspector wanted to see on the PV disconnect box and install that.
When it came to the structural portion of my PV permit, I simply had to follow the diagrams and material call outs very specifically on my structural engineering drawings. Having a signed and sealed set of structural engineering drawings in my permit plans, the structural inspector from the building department simply inspects to see that you follow the engineers plans to the letter. If it says use two 3-1/2"x5/16" lag bolts per bracket, you better have two bolts. If the plans say the bolts should go into the roof truss, the inspector should crawl through the attic looking for any bolts that missed trusses, and there shouldn't be any...