Section 140.10 — PRESCRIPTIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC

(a) Photovoltaic requirements. All newly constructed building types specified in Table 140.10-A, or mixed occupancy buildings where at least 80 percent of the floor area of the building serves one or more of these building types, shall have a newly installed photovoltaic (PV) system meeting the minimum qualification requirements of Reference Joint Appendix JA11. The PV capacity in kW dc shall not be less than the smaller of the minimum rated PV system capacity determined by Equation 140.10-A, or the total of all available solar access roof areas (SARA) multiplied by 18 for steep-sloped roofs or multiplied by 14 for low-sloped roofs. In mixed occupancy buildings, the minimum rated PV system capacity for the building shall be determined by applying Equation 140.10-A to the conditioned floor area of each of the listed building types and summing the capacities determined for each.

SARA includes the area of the building’s roof space capable of structurally supporting a PV system, and the area of all roof space on covered parking areas, carports and all other newly constructed structures on the site that are compatible with supporting a PV system per Title 24, Part 2, Section 1511.10.
SARA does NOT include:

A. Any area that has less than 70 percent annual solar access. Annual solar access is determined by dividing the total annual solar insolation (accounting for shading obstructions) by the total annual solar insolation if the same areas were unshaded by those obstructions. For all roofs, all obstructions, including those that are external to the building, and obstructions that are part of the building design and elevation features may be considered for the annual solar access calculations.

B. Occupied roofs as specified by CBC Section 503.1.4. C. Roof area that is otherwise not available due to compliance with: i. Other state building code requirements; or ii. Local building code requirements if the local building code requirements are confirmed by the Executive Director.

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

NONRESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL/MOTEL OCCUPANCIES—PERFORMANCE AND PRESCRIPTIVE

COMPLIANCE APPROACHES FOR ACHIEVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

EQUATION 140.10-A—PHOTOVOLTAIC DIRECT CURRENT CAPACITY

kW PVdc = (CFA × A)/1000

where:

kW PVdc = Minimum rated PV system capacity in kW.

CFA = Conditioned floor area in square feet.

A = PV capacity factor in W/square foot as specified in Table 140.10-A for the building type.

Exception 1 to Section 140.10(a): No PV system is required where the total of all available SARA is less than 3 percent of the conditioned floor area.

Exception 2 to Section 140.10(a): No PV system is required where the required PV system capacity is less than 4 kW dc .

Exception 3 to Section 140.10(a): No PV system is required if the SARA contains less than 80 contiguous square feet.

Exception 4 to Section 140.10(a): Buildings with enforcement-authority-approved roof designs, where the enforcement authority determines it is not possible for the PV system, including panels, modules, components, supports and attachments to the roof structure, to meet ASCE 7-16, Chapter 7, Snow Loads.

Exception 5 to Section 140.10(a): For nonresidential and hotel/motel multitenant buildings, the PV capacity determined by Equation 140.10-A shall be calculated without including tenant spaces meeting all of the following: i. The tenant space is less than or equal to 2,000 square feet of conditioned space; ii. The tenant space is served by an HVAC system that does not serve other tenant spaces in the building; and iii. The tenant space has an individual utility meter to track electricity consumption that does not include the electricity consumption of other tenant spaces in the building.

This exception does not apply where the Commission has approved a community solar program for showing compliance as specified in Title 24, Part 1, Section 10-115, or where a load-serving entity provides a program where PV generation is compensated through virtual energy bill credits for occupants of nonresidential and hotel/motel tenant spaces to receive energy bill benefits from netting of energy generation and consumption.

(b) Battery energy storage system (BESS) requirements. All buildings that are required by Section 140.10(a) to have a PV system shall also have a BESS meeting the minimum qualification requirements of Reference Joint Appendix JA12. The rated energy capacity shall be not less than the Minimum Rated Useable Energy Capacity determined using Equation 140.10-B or 140.10-C if SARA was used to determine the PV capacity in Section 140.10(a). The rated power capacity shall be not less than the Minimum Power Capacity determined using Equation 140.10-D. In mixed occupancy buildings, the total battery system capacity for the building shall be determined by applying the Minimum Rated Usable Energy Capacity to each of the listed building types and summing the capacities determined for each.

EQUATION 140.10-B—BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM MINIMUM RATED USABLE ENERGY CAPACITY kWh batt = [(CFA × B)/(1,000 × C [0.5] )]

EQUATION 140.10-C—BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM MINIMUM RATED USABLE ENERGY CAPACITY, SARA-ADJUSTED kWh batt = [(CFA × B)/(1,000 × C [0.5] )] x (kW PVdc,SARA /kW PVdc )

where:

kWh batt = Minimum Rated Usable Energy Capacity of the BESS in kWh.

CFA = Conditioned floor area that is subject to the PV system requirements of Section 140.10(a) in square feet.

kW PVdc = Minimum Rated PV System Capacity in kW from Equation 140.10-A. kW PVdc, SARA = Minimum Rated PV System Capacity in kW from the SARA calculation. B = BESS Capacity Factor in Wh/square foot as specified in Table 140.10-B for the building type. C = Rated single charge-discharge cycle AC to AC (round-trip) efficiency of the BESS.

EQUATION 140.10-D—BESS MINIMUM RATED POWER CAPACITY

kW batt = kW batt /4

where:

kW batt = Minimum Rated Power Capacity of the BESS in kWdc. kW PVdc = Minimum Rated Useable Energy Capacity of the BESS in kWh. Exception 1 to Section 140.10(b): No BESS is required if the installed PV system capacity is less than 15 percent of the capacity determined by Equation 140.10-A.

Exception 2 to Section 140.10(b): No BESS is required if the rated usable energy capacity determined by Equation 140.10-B or Equation 140.10-C is less than 10 kWh.

Exception 3 to Section 140.10(b): For multitenant buildings, the energy capacity of the BESS shall be based on the tenant spaces with more than 5,000 square feet of conditioned floor area. For single-tenant buildings with less than 5,000 square feet of conditioned floor area, no BESS is required.

146 2025 CALIFORNIA ENERGY CODE

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

NONRESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL/MOTEL OCCUPANCIES—PERFORMANCE AND PRESCRIPTIVE

COMPLIANCE APPROACHES FOR ACHIEVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

TABLE 140.10-A—PV CAPACITY FACTORS (W/ft2 of conditioned floor area)

BUILDING TYPE	CZ 1	CZ 2	CZ 3	CZ 4	CZ 5	CZ 6	CZ 7	CZ 8	CZ 9	CZ 10	CZ 11	CZ 12	CZ 13	CZ 14	CZ 15	CZ 16
Events & Exhibits	3.48	4.28	3.66	4.32	3.77	4.05	4.28	4.83	4.63	4.80	5.04	4.44	4.95	4.36	5.48	3.38
Library	0.39	3.23	2.59	3.25	2.48	2.74	3.04	3.49	3.32	3.69	3.79	3.32	3.79	3.37	4.49	2.84
Hotel/Motel	1.69	1.90	1.66	1.97	1.69	1.87	1.94	2.22	2.09	2.20	2.30	2.05	2.30	2.02	2.72	1.73
Office, Financial Institution, Unleased Tenant Space, Medical Office Building/Clinic	2.59	3.13	2.59	3.13	2.59	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.13	3.80	2.59
Restaurants	8.55	9.32	8.16	9.65	8.21	8.73	9.11	10.18	9.75	10.28	10.85	9.73	10.69	9.73	12.25	8.47
Retail, Grocery	3.14	3.49	3.01	3.61	3.05	3.27	3.45	3.83	3.65	3.81	4.09	3.64	3.99	3.71	4.60	3.21
School	1.27	1.63	1.27	1.63	1.27	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	1.63	2.46	1.27
Warehouse	0.39	0.44	0.39	0.44	0.39	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.44	0.58	0.39
Religious Worship	4.25	4.65	3.49	4.52	3.72	4.29	4.64	5.89	5.30	5.67	5.89	4.99	5.78	4.63	7.57	3.90
Sports & Recreation	2.47	1.97	1.54	2.03	1.60	1.84	1.98	2.63	2.47	2.60	2.75	2.20	2.72	2.15	4.03	1.81
Multifamily > 3 stories	1.82	2.21	1.82	2.21	1.82	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.21	2.77	1.82

TABLE 140.10-B—BESS CAPACITY FACTORS (Wh/ft2 of conditioned floor area)

BUILDING TYPE	CZ 1	CZ 2	CZ 3	CZ 4	CZ 5	CZ 6	CZ 7	CZ 8	CZ 9	CZ 10	CZ 11	CZ 12	CZ 13	CZ 14	CZ 15	CZ 16
Events & Exhibits	1.82	1.95	1.74	2.12	1.91	2.13	2.24	2.30	2.36	2.47	2.62	2.16	2.64	2.68	3.22	1.89
Library	0.37	7.17	5.97	6.75	5.64	6.08	6.19	7.13	7.18	7.56	7.17	6.93	6.88	6.81	7.93	6.40
Hotel/Motel	0.86	0.84	0.77	0.92	0.81	0.89	0.90	1.01	1.00	1.11	1.14	0.96	1.18	1.18	1.49	0.85
Office, Financial Institution, Unleased Tenant Space, Medical Office Building/Clinic	NR1	5.26	4.35	5.26	4.35	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	5.26	6.39	4.35
Restaurants	4.36	4.11	3.78	4.37	3.89	4.02	4.11	4.49	4.47	4.82	5.05	4.43	5.05	5.24	6.23	4.11
Retail, Grocery	1.89	1.82	2.70	1.82	1.72	1.80	1.76	1.92	1.97	2.05	2.22	1.95	2.16	2.29	2.66	1.91
School	NR1	3.05	2.38	3.05	2.38	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	4.60	2.38
Warehouse	0.37	0.41	0.37	0.41	0.37	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.41	0.54	0.37
Religious Worship	2.21	2.25	1.74	2.42	2.08	2.75	2.94	3.37	3.17	3.37	3.58	2.72	3.62	3.21	4.89	2.37
Sports & Recreation	1.26	0.98	0.76	1.14	0.86	1.20	1.23	1.57	1.53	1.65	1.83	1.27	1.86	1.57	3.02	1.13
Multifamily > 3 stories	1.88	2.27	1.88	2.27	1.88	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.27	2.85	1.88
1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.	1. NR = Not Required.

Note: Authority: Sections 25213, 25218, 25218.5, 25402 and 25402.1, Public Resources Code . Reference: Sections 25007, 25008, 25218.5, 25310, 25402, 25402.1, 25402.4, 25402.8 and 25943, Public Resources Code .

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

148 2025 CALIFORNIA ENERGY CODE

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.