Kings County Municipal Code Art. V Electrical Code

Excluding appendices thereto, the 2013 edition of the California Electrical Code, as published by the California Building Standards Commission, is hereby referred to, adopted and made a part hereof with the same effect as if fully set forth herein and hereby declared to be the electrical code of the county, and the provisions thereof shall apply to the unincorporated area of the county. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 180 days after the publication of any subsequent triennial edition of the California Electrical Code, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, that subsequent triennial edition of the code shall replace the previous edition of the code as the adopted electrical code for Kings County.

(Ord. No. 567.4, § 1, 8-25-15)

(a) The following words and phrases as used in this section are defined as set forth below:

(1) "Electronic submittal" means utilization of one of the following:

a. E-mail; or

b. Online or facsimile submittal if the building official, in his or her sole discretion, elects to modify the procedures described in subdivision (b) of this section for permitting small residential rooftop solar energy systems, to allow for such submittal.

(2) "Small residential rooftop solar energy system" means all of the following:

a. A solar energy system that is no larger than ten kilowatts alternating current nameplate or 30 kilowatts thermal.

b. A solar energy system that conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by this ordinance code and Civil Code section 714, subdivision (c)(3), as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

c. A solar energy system that is installed on a single- or duplex-family dwelling.

d. A solar panel or module array that does not exceed the maximum legal building height.

(3) "Solar energy system" has the same meaning as set forth in Civil Code section 801.5, subdivisions (a)(1) and (2), as such statutory provisions may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

(b) Section 65850.5 of the Government Code provides that, on or before September 30, 2015, every county shall adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems. The statute further requires that in developing an expedited permitting process, the county shall adopt a checklist of all requirements with which small rooftop solar energy systems shall comply to be eligible for expedited review. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop and adopt such a checklist, as well as procedures for permitting small residential rooftop solar energy systems and standard plans. The building official shall conform the expedited, streamlined permitting process substantially with the recommendations for expedited permitting, including the checklist and standard plans, contained in the most current version of the California Solar Permitting Guidebook adopted by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The checklist shall be published on the county's internet website.

(c) An applicant may submit a permit application and associated documentation to the building division of the community development agency by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal together with any required permit processing and inspection fees. In the case of electronic submittal, the electronic signature of the applicant on all forms, applications and other documentation may be used in lieu of a wet signature.

(d) An application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist, as determined by the building official, shall be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete application, the building official shall issue a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.

(e) Upon confirmation by the building official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements of the checklist, the building official shall approve the application administratively, and issue all required permits and authorizations. Such approval does not authorize an applicant to connect the small residential rooftop energy system to the local utility provider's electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from the local utility provider.

(f) For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner and shall include a combined building and fire inspection, both of which shall be conducted by the building official. If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized. However, the subsequent inspection need not conform to the requirements of this subdivision.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the building official in his or her discretion and after consulting with the zoning administrator and fire chief, elects to apply the expedited permitting process described in this section not only to small residential rooftop solar energy systems, but also to other small solar energy systems, as defined by the building official, he or she may do so by amending the procedures described in subdivision (b) of this section for permitting small residential rooftop solar energy systems. The decision of the building official to expand the application of this section shall be based upon a finding that there is no foreseeable probability that doing so will have a negative impact on public health and safety.

(Ord. No. 567.4, § 1, 8-25-15)