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Washington Administrative Code (Last Updated: November 23, 2016) |
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Title 51. Enterprise Services, Department of (Building Code Council) |
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Chapter 51-51. State Building Code adoption and amendment of the 2015 edition of the International Residential Code. |
Section 51-51-03240. Section R324—Solar energy systems.
Latest version.
- R324.1 General. Solar energy systems shall comply with the provisions of this section.R324.2 Solar thermal systems. Solar thermal systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Chapter 23 and the International Fire Code.R324.3 Photovoltaic systems. Installation, modification, or alteration of solar photovoltaic power systems shall comply with this section and the International Fire Code. Section R104.11 alternate materials and methods of this code shall be considered when approving the installation of solar photovoltaic power systems. Photovoltaic systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Sections R324.3.1 through R324.6 and chapter 19.28 RCW. Inverters shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1741. Systems connected to the utility grid shall use inverters listed for utility interaction.EXCEPTION:Detached, nonhabitable Group U structures shall not be subject to the requirements of this section for structural and fire safety.R324.3.1 Equipment listing. Photovoltaic panels and modules shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1703.R324.4 Rooftop-mounted photovoltaic systems. Rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panel systems installed on or above the roof covering shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section 907.EXCEPTION:The roof structure shall be deemed adequate to support the load of the rooftop solar photovoltaic system if all of the following requirements are met:1. The solar photovoltaic panel system shall be designed for the wind speed of the local area, and shall be installed per the manufacturer's specifications.2. The ground snow load does not exceed 70 pounds per square foot.3. The total dead load of modules, supports, mountings, raceways, and all other appurtenances weigh no more than 4 pounds per square foot.4. Photovoltaic modules are not mounted higher than 18 inches above the surface of the roofing to which they are affixed.5. Supports for solar modules are to be installed to spread the dead load across as many roof-framing members as needed, so that no point load exceeds 50 pounds.R324.4.1 Roof load. Portions of roof structures not covered with photovoltaic panel systems shall be designed for dead loads and roof loads in accordance with Sections R301.4 and R301.6. Portions of roof structures covered by photovoltaic panel systems shall be designed for the following load cases:1. Dead load (including photovoltaic panel weight) plus snow load in accordance with Table R301.2(1).2. Dead load (excluding photovoltaic panel weight), plus roof live load or snow load, whichever is greater, in accordance with Section R301.6.R324.4.2 Wind resistance. Rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panel or module systems and their supports shall be designed to resist the component and cladding loads specified in Table R301.2(2), adjusted for height and exposure in accordance with Table R301.2(3).R324.5 Building-integrated photovoltaic systems. Building-integrated photovoltaic systems that serve as roof coverings shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section R905.R324.5.1 Photovoltaic shingles. Photovoltaic shingles shall comply with Section R905.16.R324.6 Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section R301.R324.7 This section is not adopted.