Permit when panel is very near at the edge of the roof

[Helmut]

Hello

We have not much room on the roof of the Garage for about 3kw in California. But that roof have the best direction to the sun and for low cost we want only one String with an Stringinverter.
The consequence is, that the panels get very near to the edge of the top of the roof (gable) .
I know that this is not good because of the wind. But i thought that is tolerable. It is in central valley California with no extrem wind. The panels doesn´t stay over the top of the Roof (gable). In Germany we build sometimes with stay over.

But can we get problems in the Permit-Prozess? Are there some regulations about the distance to the edge of the roof speziell to the gable?

Thanks Helmut

[Bikerscum]

You will find in CA that you must stay 3 feet from the top and the sides in most if not all locations. For a DIY installation I doubt if you'd get any exceptions granted.

[CA_Tom]

You will find in CA that you must stay 3 feet from the top and the sides in most if not all locations. For a DIY installation I doubt if you'd get any exceptions granted.

The reason you have to stay 3 feet from the top isn't wind - it's access for firemen to cut venting in the roof.
And as someone doing a DIY installation in CA - I *did* get an exception granted.
I had to meet with the fire dept and get their blessing for my plan, but that wasn't too difficult to do.
I showed the fire dept drawings of what I was planning with where I wouldn't meet the 3' setback.
One section had plenty of room on the other side of the ridge (and attic space was continuous between the two sides of the ridge).
Other section was garage and could meet the 3feet straddling the ridge, but not on either side. I suspect if that was over a kitchen instead of garage they might have been less lenient about it.

You can ask and see what the planning dept says - my guess is that they'll send you to the fire dept.

[Bikerscum]

The reason you have to stay 3 feet from the top isn't wind - it's access for firemen to cut venting in the roof.
And as someone doing a DIY installation in CA - I *did* get an exception granted.
I had to meet with the fire dept and get their blessing for my plan, but that wasn't too difficult to do.
I showed the fire dept drawings of what I was planning with where I wouldn't meet the 3' setback.
One section had plenty of room on the other side of the ridge (and attic space was continuous between the two sides of the ridge).
Other section was garage and could meet the 3feet straddling the ridge, but not on either side. I suspect if that was over a kitchen instead of garage they might have been less lenient about it.

You can ask and see what the planning dept says - my guess is that they'll send you to the fire dept.

I guess that would mean most but not all locations.

[Helmut]

Thank you for answering CA Tom and Bikerscum.
Now i learn why solar in USA is so expensive.
When we must build 2 Strings on two roofs it is much more work and cost for the ranking and Mounts. Also would be the efficiency smaler: The angel to the sun on the second roof and the problematik low DC-current with 2 Strings.
In Germany a solar System like we planning in California would be very simpel. We need no Permit´s at all for solar on the roof when the building ist not spezial historik.

[russ]

So in Germany you are allowed to just throw anything on the roof you want? No electrical code? No fire code? No building code?

[Helmut]

So in Germany you are allowed to just throw anything on the roof you want? No electrical code? No fire code? No building code?

We have in Germany and EU codes for everything. Maybe we are the worldmasters at that.
And we need normaly Permits for all but for breathing.

By instaling the solar System we must of course make it so that it is correct to the electrical code, building code... .
But in principle there ist nobody to control that. And the codes for solar stuff on the roof are so easy that when you make it to your own mind good, it is normaly good enough for the codes to.
Of course this is in Germany only for solar. For exampel making electrical stuff in Industrial you have no chance to make it right without to be Spezialist.

Only the Point when the AC power from the Inverter to the grid is controlled and full of Regulation. But al homeowners have the right to put up to 30kW to the grid.

But we don`t need a Permit when it goes about solar on the roof. the goverment make an exception many years ago to promote solar.

That works nice!

[russ]

We have in Germany and EU codes for everything. Maybe we are the worldmasters at that.
And we need normaly Permits for all but for breathing.


But we don`t need a Permit when it goes about solar on the roof. the goverment make an exception many years ago to promote solar.That works nice!

You described the EU well!

In the US and most of the rest of the world it is necessary to have inspectors and all. People can not understand the need to do things well and right.

[SunEagle]

You described the EU well!

In the US and most of the rest of the world it is necessary to have inspectors and all. People can not understand the need to do things well and right.

Protecting the majority of the people from getting hurt or hurting others is the reason for permits and inspections. What makes it complicated and confusing is that each State or even "community" have different rules to follow so it is hard to provide good advice to people who ask questions because no one knows all of the "rules".

Unfortunately these "safety rules" are the reasons some of the more knowledgeable and experienced people in the US get frustrated because they have to jump through the legal hoops do something that they can do themselves but are not necessarily licensed to do. This adds anger to all that confusion.

[russ]

Unfortunately these "safety rules" are the reasons some of the more knowledgeable and experienced people in the US get frustrated because they have to jump through the legal hoops do something that they can do themselves but are not necessarily licensed to do. This adds anger to all that confusion.

For every one that knows and could do there are probably fifty that think they could.

[J.P.M.]

For every one that knows and could do there are probably fifty that think they could.

And probably 49+ of those are mostly clueless.

[SunEagle]

And probably 49+ of those are mostly clueless.

I would estimate the numbers to be 1 in a 1000 that can actually do the work per code and safely. A third of the other 999 people would get hurt, another third would give up installing anything and the final third would end up paying someone to fix what they started.

Even with my "hands on" electrical background I would not consider myself as totally qualified to design and install the complete system. I would hire professionals to do the work but I would ask a lot of questions and be very observant during the entire process.

[sdold]

I'm more nervous of guys with the anti-authority "don't tell me" attitude who assume that all of the rules are in place to make someone rich. They resent having someone else tell them what to do and think of the regs and codes as unnecessary obstacles. I think it's the smart guys with this attitude that are going to be building systems on PT frames and plugging them into dryer outlets.

[CA_Tom]

I would estimate the numbers to be 1 in a 1000 that can actually do the work per code and safely. A third of the other 999 people would get hurt, another third would give up installing anything and the final third would end up paying someone to fix what they started.

Even with my "hands on" electrical background I would not consider myself as totally qualified to design and install the complete system. I would hire professionals to do the work but I would ask a lot of questions and be very observant during the entire process.

So you think there are thousands of people who have gotten hurt, thousands who have given up entirely, and thousands who have hired someone else.
Because we know there are numerous people who have done the work and have systems running.

And in the next ~6 months when my system is running, you must believe there will be another 300+ of people in each group.
What other forums do you think these >900 people are going to as they get started?
I don't see that much traffic here for people who are looking to install their own system.

[SunEagle]

So you think there are thousands of people who have gotten hurt, thousands who have given up entirely, and thousands who have hired someone else.
Because we know there are numerous people who have done the work and have systems running.

And in the next ~6 months when my system is running, you must believe there will be another 300+ of people in each group.
What other forums do you think these >900 people are going to as they get started?
I don't see that much traffic here for people who are looking to install their own system.

Ok. Maybe I over inflated the numbers by using 1 in 1000 but I still believe it is much higher than the 1 in 50 that russ provided.

A lot of people that DIY don't even go to forums to get the questions answered. They jump into a problem with both feet and when they get stuck the last thing they want to do is report their failure to the world. I know of at least 3 of my family members that fall into that category.

I would say just because we have not seen a lot of people on this forum (there are over 21,000 members) that ask questions about a DIY system it doesn't mean there aren't many hundreds of people that just take task in hand because that is who they are. Of those I would still say a very small percentage really understand the complexity of installing a pv system per electrical and fire code requirements without getting professional help.

For over 40 years I have witnessed too many people getting hurt just doing simple DIY tasks at home let alone trying to install something as complex as a grid tie pv system.

So Tom you may be one of the few that can do it yourself but if my comments have insulted you then maybe you are a little too thin skinned.