Solar ABCs White Paper: Impacts on Photovoltaic Installations of Changes to the 2012 International Codes
This white paper provides an overview of changes related to photovoltaic (PV) installations in the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC).
Note: This resource, and the related explanatory text below, were originally published in 2011. The contents of this report, while applicable to jurisdictions still using the 2012 international codes (or those looking for explanation of what those codes said), its contents are not reflective of the requirements of more recent versions of the code.
This white paper provides an overview of changes related to photovoltaic (PV) installations in the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC). These codes include requirements for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products and rack-mounted PV products. For each of these products, the codes include requirements for installation, materials, wind resistance, and fire classification. This information is intended to assist code officials, solar installers, and roofing contractors as they interpret and use these codes.
The Solar ABCs has published a separate document on the changes to the International Fire Code (IFC), entitled “Understanding the CAL FIRE Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guideline.” The 2012 IFC includes requirements for PV installations, and the Solar ABCs report describes the California solar installation guidelines and the similar 2012 IFC requirements.
