It includes solar-specific code requirements updated to the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the most current international building, residential, and fire codes. It is intended for authorities having jurisdiction and others who provide plan review and inspection services, as well as for solar installers.
“Solar capacity has grown exponentially since the first model inspection checklist was released in 2013, as has the number of solar professionals,” says IREC Workforce Director Laure-Jeanne Davignon. “Best practices and guidance documents like these are increasingly important to ensure consumer confidence and consistent practices throughout the country.”
This resource can be used to create custom jurisdictional checklists with modifications to match specific state and local code requirements. The checklists can then be used by reviewers, inspectors and installers.
A municipality may also use the guidelines to generate a “correction notice” for installers – that lists commonly occurring installation errors.
The International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) and the International Code Council (ICC) contributed to the updating of this document, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The inspection guidelines can help educate and refresh installers about the number and variety of requirements that must be met for a code-compliant installation.
