US Solar Codes
30 terms in the us solar codes category.
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AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) is the organization, office or individual responsible for enforcing a code or standard and approving equipment, installations or procedures, as defined in NFPA 70 (NEC) Article 100. For US solar projects, the AHJ is usually the city or county building department that reviews the permit plan set and inspects the installed system.
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ASCE 7-16
ASCE 7-16 is the 2016 edition of the American Society of Civil Engineers standard Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures. It is referenced by IBC 2018 and IBC 2021, and it was the first edition with dedicated wind provisions for rooftop solar panels, used in many US permit calculations.
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ASCE 7-22
ASCE 7-22 is the 2022 edition of the ASCE/SEI standard Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures. IBC 2024 references it. Structural engineers use it to calculate wind, snow, seismic and other loads on rooftop and ground-mount solar arrays, and it added tornado load provisions for the first time.
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CSA C22.2
CSA C22.2 is the Canadian Standards Association's series of product safety standards for electrical equipment, referenced by the Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1). For solar, CSA C22.2 No. 61730 covers PV module safety and C22.2 No. 107.1 covers power conversion equipment such as inverters. Canadian inspectors expect this certification.
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Fire Setback
Fire setbacks are clear pathways and edge clearances around rooftop PV arrays that let firefighters reach, walk on and ventilate a roof. In the US they come from the International Fire Code Section 1205 and, for one- and two-family homes, IRC R324.6. Local jurisdictions often amend them, so designers confirm requirements early.
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FM Global Approval
FM Global Approval, issued by FM Approvals, certifies that a product meets standards set by the property insurer FM Global. For solar, FM 4478 covers rigid PV modules on roofs, and FM Global Data Sheet 1-15 gives guidance on roof-mounted PV. Insured commercial owners often require FM-approved equipment on their roofs.
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HVHZ (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone)
HVHZ (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) is the Florida Building Code designation for Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, the state's most severe hurricane wind region. Solar PV projects there must meet FBC HVHZ provisions, such as Section 1620 wind loads, and use products with Miami-Dade Notices of Acceptance or equivalent approvals.
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IBC (International Building Code)
The IBC (International Building Code) is the model US building code published by the International Code Council for commercial and most non-residential buildings. The 2021 IBC covers rooftop PV in Section 3111 and references ASCE 7 for wind, snow and seismic loads, so solar structural reviews follow it.
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IEEE 1547
IEEE 1547 is the IEEE standard for interconnecting distributed energy resources such as solar inverters and batteries with the electric grid. The IEEE 1547-2018 revision added ride-through, voltage regulation and communication requirements, and US utilities now commonly require inverters listed to UL 1741 SB, which tests against it.
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IEEE 1547.1
IEEE 1547.1 is the test procedure standard that verifies whether a distributed energy resource meets IEEE 1547 interconnection requirements. Its 2020 edition, IEEE 1547.1-2020, defines tests for voltage and frequency ride-through, reactive power and anti-islanding, and test labs apply it when listing inverters to UL 1741 SB.
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IRC (International Residential Code)
The IRC (International Residential Code) is the International Code Council's model building code for one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three stories. Section R324 of the 2021 IRC covers rooftop solar, including roof access pathways and structural requirements, and US building departments review residential PV permits against it.
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NABCEP
NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) is a non-profit certification body founded in 2002 that issues professional credentials for solar and storage workers in North America. Its best-known credential is the PV Installation Professional (PVIP). Installers, designers, and inspectors earn it to show tested competence, and some states and programmes recognise it.
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NBT (Net Billing Tariff)
NBT (Net Billing Tariff) is California's rooftop solar export tariff, adopted by the CPUC in Decision 22-12-056 and widely called NEM 3.0. It applies to new PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E customers who applied after April 14, 2023, valuing exports at hourly avoided-cost rates rather than retail rates, which makes battery storage more valuable.
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NEC 480 (Storage Batteries)
NEC Article 480 is the National Electrical Code article covering stationary standby batteries, such as vented and valve-regulated lead-acid and nickel-cadmium banks, retitled Stationary Standby Batteries in NEC 2020. It sets rules for battery support, spacing, ventilation, and disconnects. Solar designers apply it mainly to older battery types, while lithium energy storage systems follow Article 706.
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NEC 690
NEC Article 690 is the National Electrical Code article for solar photovoltaic systems in the United States. It covers maximum system voltage, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, grounding, arc-fault protection, disconnects, labelling, and rapid shutdown under 690.12. Installers and permit designers apply the AHJ's adopted edition, such as NEC 2020 or NEC 2023, on every PV plan set.
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NEC 705
NEC Article 705 is the National Electrical Code article that governs how interconnected power sources, such as solar PV, batteries, and generators, connect to a building's electrical service. It defines supply-side and load-side connections, including the 120% busbar rule in 705.12. Permit designers use it to choose a code-compliant interconnection point for each PV system.
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NEC 706
NEC Article 706 is the National Electrical Code article for energy storage systems, first added in NEC 2017. It covers disconnecting means, overcurrent protection, labelling, and installation of stationary battery systems, including lithium-ion batteries paired with solar. Designers apply it alongside UL 9540 equipment listings and NFPA 855 fire-safety rules when adding storage to PV.
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NEC 710
NEC Article 710 is the National Electrical Code article for stand-alone systems, meaning power systems that operate without a connection to an electric utility. It was added in NEC 2017 when off-grid provisions moved out of Article 690. Designers of off-grid cabins, remote sites, and telecom installations apply it alongside Articles 690 and 706.
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NEC 712
NEC Article 712 is the National Electrical Code article for DC microgrids, where DC sources such as solar, batteries, and fuel cells share a common DC bus that feeds DC loads. Added in NEC 2017, it covers disconnects, protection, and marking for these systems. It applies mainly to data centres, commercial buildings, and research facilities.
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NEM 3.0
NEM 3.0, formally the Net Billing Tariff (NBT), is California's rule for crediting solar exports, adopted by CPUC Decision 22-12-056 and effective April 15, 2023. Exports earn hourly avoided-cost values instead of retail rates. It applies to new PG&E, SCE and SDG&E customers, so designers now size batteries to shift solar into evening hours.
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Rule 21
Rule 21 is the California Public Utilities Commission tariff that sets how solar, storage and other distributed energy resources connect to the PG&E, SCE and SDG&E distribution grids. It requires smart inverters certified to IEEE 1547-2018 through UL 1741 SB. Solar designers follow it for every interconnection application in those utility territories.
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SolarAPP+
SolarAPP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus) is a web platform developed by NREL with US Department of Energy support and launched in 2021. It runs automated code-compliance checks on eligible residential PV and battery projects so that participating local jurisdictions can issue permits instantly, though local inspection and utility steps still apply.
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Title 24
California Title 24, Part 6 is the state Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The 2019 code, effective January 1, 2020, required solar PV on most new low-rise residential buildings, and the 2022 code, effective January 1, 2023, added PV and battery storage requirements for certain new nonresidential and high-rise multifamily buildings.
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UL 1703
UL 1703 is the legacy Underwriters Laboratories safety standard for flat-plate photovoltaic modules and panels sold in North America. It covered electrical safety, fire classification and mechanical strength. UL 61730, first published in 2017 and harmonized with IEC 61730, has replaced it for new module listings, so designers check which standard appears on datasheets.
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UL 1741
UL 1741 is the Underwriters Laboratories safety standard for inverters, converters, charge controllers and interconnection equipment used with distributed energy resources. Grid-interactive testing follows IEEE 1547.1 procedures. Solar designers check for UL 1741 listings, and now the SB supplement for IEEE 1547-2018, before an inverter can go on a US permit or interconnection application.
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UL 1741 SB
UL 1741 SB (Supplement SB) is the certification route in the UL 1741 inverter standard that tests grid-support functions to IEEE 1547.1-2020 to show conformance with IEEE 1547-2018. Many US utilities now require SB-certified inverters for interconnection, and the certificate must come from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and cover the exact model and firmware.
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UL 1741-SA
UL 1741 SA (Supplement A), published in 2016, is a test supplement to the UL 1741 inverter standard. It verified California Rule 21 Phase 1 and 2 smart inverter functions such as ride-through, volt-VAR and volt-watt. UL 1741 SB, published in 2021 for IEEE 1547-2018, has replaced it for most new interconnection applications.
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UL 3741 (PV Hazard Control System)
UL 3741 is the Standard for Photovoltaic Hazard Control, first published in December 2020. It evaluates PV hazard control systems, combinations of modules, racking, and electronics, that limit firefighter shock risk inside an array. NEC 2020 690.12(B)(2) accepts listed systems as a way to meet rapid shutdown inside the array boundary.
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UL 61730
UL 61730 is the North American safety standard for photovoltaic modules, published in two parts: UL 61730-1 for construction and UL 61730-2 for testing. First issued in 2017 and harmonised with IEC 61730, it replaced UL 1703 for new module listings. AHJs check for this listing because NEC 690.4(B) requires listed PV equipment.
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UL 9540 (Energy Storage System)
UL 9540 is the US safety standard for energy storage systems and equipment, covering the complete battery, inverter, and controls assembly. Its companion test method, UL 9540A, evaluates thermal runaway fire propagation. NEC 2020 Article 706 and NFPA 855 reference listed systems, so permit reviewers check UL 9540 listing for solar-plus-storage projects.
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