Cal fire solar photovoltaic installation guideline

Does the California Fire Service require solar PV array switches?

According to the California Fire Service’s Draft Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guideline, dated April of 2008, there is no language related to rooftop PV array switches. The guidelines do not state why such a requirement was omitted.

What are the requirements for solar PV installations in California?

Specific areas within Title 24 identify certain requirements for solar PV installations such as the California Electrical Code, California Building Code, California Plumbing Code, California Mechanical Code and California Residential Code (which applies to residential buildings of one or two units).

How does the Cal Fire solar PV system work?

The Cal Fire Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guideline explains that by controlling the voltage at the module level, the electrical hazards of the PV array are removed, allowing firefighters to concentrate on their main goal of fire suppression rather than energy control for the PV system.

What is the solar photovoltaic industry guideline?

The intent of this guideline is to provide the solar photovoltaic industry with information that will aid in the designing, building, and installation of solar photovoltaic systems in a manner that should meet the objectives of both the solar photovoltaic industry and the Fire Service.

What are the California Solar permit requirements?

The specific structural and fire requirements are covered in other parts of the California Solar Permitting Guidebook. This covers photovoltaic system interconnected to the load side of a single-phase AC service panel of nominal 120/240Vac with a bus bar rating of 225A or less.

What are the Cal Fire guidelines for PV systems?

The Cal Fire guidelines begin with several pages of introductory information including a history of the task force that developed the document, a short explanation of PV systems for stakeholders unfamiliar with the technology, a resource list for further study, and guidance on how the document should be implemented. The brief PV system background follows.