St. Louis recently passed a new law requiring all new buildings to be made solar-ready.
All new structures—commercial and residential—must reserve rooftop sections for solar panels to be easily installed. The ordinance does not mandate that rooftop solar be installed.
The solar-ready zone must be at least 40% of the roof area. It can be one contiguous area or multiple smaller sub-zone areas that are no less than five feet in width at their narrowest point. The solar-ready area cannot be obstructed by pipes, vents, HVAC equipment, or other shadow-casting elements.
Construction documents must outline pathways for routing of piping from the solar-ready zone to the building’s electrical service panel or service hot water system. The electrical panel must also have reserved space for a dual-pole circuit breaker to support future solar installations.
New buildings that have permanently-installed onsite generation systems already, buildings whose solar-ready zones would be shaded from sunlight for more than 70% of the day, and buildings where a licensed design professional has deemed that the solar radiation available to the building is not suitable to a solar-ready zone or because the area requirement cannot be met due to extensive rooftop obstructions, may be exempt.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2018
FEMA document provides simplified seismic design provisions for low-hazard regions
Forty four states have areas defined as low-hazard.
Codes and Standards | Feb 20, 2018
Federal budget includes disaster mitigation provisions
Bipartisan bill encourages states to adopt latest building codes.
Codes and Standards | Feb 19, 2018
Easy access to indoor environment controls yields improved efficiency and workplace productivity
JLL/Purdue University project is developing algorithms to improve indoor comfort.
Codes and Standards | Feb 14, 2018
After Energy Star stopped certifying medical properties, a REIT developed its own certification
Welltower uses internal system to evaluate total building performance.
Codes and Standards | Feb 13, 2018
Rezoning, innovative investor enabling development of a “metroburb” in New Jersey
Indoor mixed-use “Main Street” blossoms in giant former Bell Labs building.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2018
Publication provides insight into managing risk of wind-borne debris damage
Explains how models and data are used to assess the risk of structural damage.
Codes and Standards | Feb 8, 2018
EPA’s Water of the U.S. rule delayed for two years while repeal sought
Controversial Obama-era regulation may never be implemented.
Codes and Standards | Feb 5, 2018
Astrophysicist turns his skills toward identifying and predicting location of vacant buildings
Project could help Baltimore and other cities redevelop blighted properties.
Codes and Standards | Feb 5, 2018
Denver’s new green roof mandate raises implementation policies
Voter initiative left many details undecided.
Codes and Standards | Feb 2, 2018
How workplace design can position financial services companies for success
HOK report examines forces reshaping industry.