Solar permits

[Krlii]

I am submitting my plans to Clark County Nevada. Any advice on making the permit process go smoothly?

 

[svetz]

Don't have any advice, but did want to welcome you to the forums and congratulate you on going solar!
Hope to hear about your system & setup!

 

[Mike 134]

I am submitting my plans to Clark County Nevada. Any advice on making the permit process go smoothly?

My county in Illinois had a checklist of required submittals when you applied. Best way to make it go smoothly is follow their requirements.

 

[Krlii]

Don't have any advice, but did want to welcome you to the forums and congratulate you on going solar!
Hope to hear about your system & setup!

My county in Illinois had a checklist of required submittals when you applied. Best way to make it go smoothly is follow their requirements.

Thanks Mike. Appreciate the guidance. I did find a checklist but the process is way more simple than I thought. I submitted plans through the City website. Pay the fee. Install and get final approval.

 

[Krlii]

Thanks Mike. Appreciate the guidance. I did find a checklist but the process is way more simple than I thought. I submitted plans through the City website. Pay the fee. Install and get final approval.

Don't have any advice, but did want to welcome you to the forums and congratulate you on going solar!
Hope to hear about your system & setup!

Thanks Svetz. My permit process went smoothly. Unfortunately, I think I stepped on a bear trap by ordering my solar panels from Solaris. I placed my order with an expected ship date of May 25. As soon as I placed my order the date changed to September. Now I can’t get any answer from them. I will be disputing the charge on my credit card. I didn’t realize they had a questionable reputation.

 

[RV10flyer]

I called to check on my 20,640W off-grid system. they said they could charge me $100 to come out and look at it to make sure it was grounded, but I didn't have to because I'm not hooked to the grid. I said OK thank you very much. ?

 

[Mike 134]

Thanks Svetz. My permit process went smoothly. Unfortunately, I think I stepped on a bear trap by ordering my solar panels from Solaris. I placed my order with an expected ship date of May 25. As soon as I placed my order the date changed to September. Now I can’t get any answer from them. I will be disputing the charge on my credit card. I didn’t realize they had a questionable reputation.

I used a company called CED greentech. They have locations in Las Vegas, and Reno. They are a sister company to CED electric that is a large wholesale electric supplier. Brick and mortar building you can walk into, not like some of the online vendors.

 

[KG6S]

I'm building in Lyon county and asked my electrical contractor to pre-run conduit for solar power to the inverter. He told me that it is not permissible in NV Energy-ville to have a 240 volt solar system. I think he's wrong. Anyone here have any experience with that -- either as a backup power source or hybrid grid tie source?

Also any help with the permitting process? One line diagrams and spec sheets or ??? (particularly for hybrid-grid-tie)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Krlii]

I'm building in Lyon county and asked my electrical contractor to pre-run conduit for solar power to the inverter. He told me that it is not permissible in NV Energy-ville to have a 240 volt solar system. I think he's wrong. Anyone here have any experience with that -- either as a backup power source or hybrid grid tie source?

Also any help with the permitting process? One line diagrams and spec sheets or ??? (particularly for hybrid-grid-tie)

Thanks in advance.

Doesn’t make sense not to have 240. How will you run HVAC? I submitted plans to City of Henderson NV and was issued a permit for the 2 LV6548 to make 240V system.

 

[KG6S]

Doesn’t make sense not to have 240. How will you run HVAC? I submitted plans to City of Henderson NV and was issued a permit for the 2 LV6548 to make 240V system.

Gotcha. Doesn't make any sense to me either. I'll check on my neighbor's install. It charges a Tesla and must be 220-240V

 

[SolarPhoton]

. I didn’t realize they had a questionable reputation.

Good to know. Sorry you had to have that experience.

 

[nilson13]

Thanks Mike. Appreciate the guidance. I did find a checklist but the process is way more simple than I thought. I submitted plans through the City website. Pay the fee. Install and get final approval.

How did the permitting process go? Everything work out ok?

I just bought a home in Henderson, NV and am considering building out a DIY solution as well. Do you happen to have that checklist and maybe any other useful resources/tips?

 

[chrisski]

A little to your south in Phoenix.

Aside from the permitting process is the fire inspection. Big concern was batteries separated by 36”. Some manufacturers say 6”, but the fire department holds fast to 36”

The only other thing I saw them concerned with is do the fire alarms go off throughout the house automatically when the one by the equipment goes off

 

[zanydroid]

Aside from the permitting process is the fire inspection. Big concern was batteries separated by 36”. Some manufacturers say 6”, but the fire department holds fast to 36”

Was it clear before mounting that you have special rules? Pretty sure IRC says that 36” default spacing can be waived in a couple ways.

 

[chrisski]

Was it clear before mounting that you have special rules? Pretty sure IRC says that 36” default spacing can be waived in a couple ways.

I am having the contractor do the install. It seems that 36” can get waived.

This was a separate conversation between the contractor and the fire inspector while I was there about a different install in a different town. Each town does their own fire inspection locally.

More specifically a different customer has emphases batteries installed 6” apart as per manufacture data, but the local fire dept did not like that.

For my town, the local inspector would be much more willing to approve something because if a battery pack went, the building would catch on fire and the other pack burn no matter the distance. He wanted the fire alarm to work so people could exit the house.

 

[zanydroid]

OK, I guess it doesn't really matter if you do things the right way and get the permits before starting work.

And if it's a contractor that jumps the gun and installs before getting the permit approved, maybe they just have to eat the cost of having people come out and remount everything (and eat the cost).

However, it would be extremely terrible if there was not enough space to simultaneously satisfy 36" and battery setback from building penetrations into habitable space. Crap ton of stuff would need to be reworked and patched. Maybe some contractors would cut and run at that point, lol.

Unfortunately an ESS install would probably exceed small claims court limit if SHTF.

 

[chrisski]

However, it would be extremely terrible if there was not enough space to simultaneously satisfy 36" and battery setback from building penetrations into habitable space

That’s the problem they ran into. There was not enough wall space to do the 36”. I don’t know if they were talking to the other fire dept before their install or were reacting to a red rag failed inspection.

OK, I guess it doesn't really matter if you do things the right way and get the permits before starting work.

I’m not the right guy to ask, but it seems to me from what I saw today the permitting and fire inspection are two different entities. There is also the utility inspection.

Three different entities are involved, so it’s more than the permitting.

1) permit is approved by the town
2) install happens
3) Fire inspector checks install (this happened today)
4) Town inspects install ( tomorrow)
5) Power company comes out and approves system (several weeks)
6) Backup circuits are wired and system goes live. (Day after power company arrives).

 

[zanydroid]

That’s the problem they ran into. There was not enough wall space to do the 36”. I don’t know if they were talking to the other fire dept before their install or were reacting to a red rag failed inspection.

I’m not the right guy to ask, but it seems to me from what I saw today the permitting and fire inspection are two different entities. There is also the utility inspection.

Three different entities are involved, so it’s more than the permitting.

1) permit is approved by the town
2) install happens
3) Fire inspector checks install (this happened today)
4) Town inspects install ( tomorrow)
5) Power company comes out and approves system (several weeks)
6) Backup circuits are wired and system goes live. (Day after power company arrives).

My town does it this way, so in principle it would have been caught at step (2)

1) Permit approved by town
2) Permit approved by fire district
3) Town inspection
4) Fire district inspection
5) Send proof documenting that you passed (3) and (4) to POCO (no inspection on their side needed)
6) POCO issues PTO and you can turn on the inverter

For DIY solar I waited until both (1) and (2) approved permits before placing hard order for equipment.

When I DIY my ESS, you'll bet I'm going to call up the fire district and town to confirm that they checked the spacing and vehicle protection and all that other PITA crap that is annoying to fix if it's wrong. Before I order any batteries, let alone mount them.

 

[zanydroid]

Based on my limited understanding so far, another thing that can be bad is if the UL9540 instructions for the ESS are really specific about how stuff is to be installed. For instance, I think PowerPro and 18kpv has specific layouts, and you'll have trouble if you attempt to do something like put one battery outside and one inside on the same wall. (Not sure if IRC allows this spacing, it's only 6" or so but through 2 layers of fire resistant surface).

EDIT: spacing includes back, according to a clarification i just found.

 

[chrisski]

My town does it this way, so in principle it would have been caught at step (2)

1) Permit approved by town
2) Permit approved by fire district
3) Town inspection
4) Fire district inspection
5) Send proof documenting that you passed (3) and (4) to POCO (no inspection on their side needed)
6) POCO issues PTO and you can turn on the inverter

For DIY solar I waited until both (1) and (2) approved permits before placing hard order for equipment.

When I DIY my ESS, you'll bet I'm going to call up the fire district and town to confirm that they checked the spacing and vehicle protection and all that other PITA crap that is annoying to fix if it's wrong. Before I order any batteries, let alone mount them.

Since the contractor handles everything for an install, your list is certainly more correct than mine.

I’m glad I did not do this by myself. More than I could handle, and if I did, would have taken me 3 years.