A.
The
following words and phrases as used in this section are defined as
follows:
1.
“Electronic
submittal” means the utilization of the City’s electronic
permitting system.
2.
“Small
residential rooftop solar energy system” means all of the following:
a.
A rooftop solar electric energy system that is no larger than 10
kilowatts alternating current (AC) rating or 30 kilowatts thermal.
b.
A rooftop solar energy system that conforms to all applicable State
fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted
or amended by the City and paragraph (iii) of subdivision (c) of Section
714 of the Civil Code, as such section or subdivision may be amended,
renumbered, or re-designated from time to time.
c.
A solar energy system that is installed on the rooftop of a single-
or duplex-family dwelling.
d.
A solar electric energy system that has been reviewed and approved
by the City’s electric department for parallel interconnection
to the City’s electrical grid.
3.
“Solar
energy system” has the same meaning set forth in paragraphs
(1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 801.5 of the Civil Code,
as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or re-designated
from time to time.
B.
Section
65850.5 of the California Government Code provides that, on or before
September 30, 2015, every City, county, or City and county shall adopt
an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process
for small residential rooftop solar energy systems.
C.
Section
65850.5 of the California Government Code provides that in developing
an expedited permitting process, the City, county, or City and county
shall adopt a checklist of all requirements with which small rooftop
solar energy systems shall comply to be eligible for expedited review.
The Building Official is hereby authorized and directed to develop
and adopt such checklist as part of the Building Division’s
policies and procedures for daily operations.
D.
The
checklist shall be published on the City’s Internet website.
The applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation
to the City’s Building Division by personal or electronic submittal,
together with the administrative and building permit fees. In the
case of electronic submittal, the electronic signature of the applicant
on all forms, applications and other documentation may be used in
lieu of a wet signature.
E.
Prior
to submitting a permit application, the applicant shall:
1.
Verify
to the applicant’s reasonable satisfaction through the use of
standard engineering evaluation techniques that the support structure
for the small residential rooftop solar energy system is stable and
adequate to transfer all wind, seismic, and dead and live loads associated
with the system to the building foundation; and
2.
At
the applicant’s cost, verify to the applicant’s reasonable
satisfaction using standard electrical inspection techniques that
the existing electrical system, including existing line, load, ground
and bonding wiring as well as main panel and subpanel sizes are adequately
sized, based on the existing electrical system’s current use,
to carry all new photovoltaic electrical loads.
F.
For
a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited
permit review, only one Building Division inspection shall be required,
providing the system is in compliance with all applicable code requirements.
The Building Division shall provide a checklist of applicable requirements
as part of their policies and procedures manual for daily operations.
This checklist shall also be available on the City’s website.
G.
A permit
application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist
for plan submittal, as determined by the Building Official, shall
be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete permit application,
the Building Official shall issue a written correction notice detailing
all deficiencies in the permit application and any additional information
required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.
H.
Upon
confirmation by the Building Official of the permit application and
supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements
of the checklist, the Building Official shall administratively approve
the application and issue all required permits or authorizations.
Such approval does not authorize an applicant to connect the small
residential rooftop solar energy system to the City’s electricity
grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or
permission from the City’s electric department.
(Ord. 5567 § 1, 2015)
The provisions of this chapter are hereby declared to be severable.
If any section, sentence, clause, phrase, word, portion or provision
of the ordinance codified in this chapter is held invalid or, unconstitutional,
or unenforceable, by any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding
shall not affect, impair, or invalidate any other section, sentence,
clause, phrase, word, portion, or provision of the chapter which can
be given effect without the invalid portion. In adopting the ordinance
codified in this chapter, the City Council affirmatively declares
that it would have approved and adopted the ordinance codified in
this chapter even without any portion which may be held invalid or
unenforceable. If any section, subsection, phrase, or clause of this
chapter is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision
shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter.
(Ord. 5567 § 1, 2015)
