SECTION 110.10 - MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR SOLAR READINESS AND SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM…
Santa Clara Municipal Code · 2026-07 edition · updated 2026-09-27 · Santa Clara
(b) Hotel/Motel Occupancies and High-rise Multifamily Buildings. 2025 CaliforniaEnergy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies—Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(a)3, "Covered Occupancies-Hotel/Motel Occupancies and High-rise Multifamily Buildings," is hereby amended to read as follows:
3. Hotel/Motel Occupancies and High-rise Multifamily Buildings. Hotel/motel occupancies and high-rise multifamily buildings with ten habitable stories or fewer, that do not have a photovoltaic system installed, shall comply with the requirements of Section 110.10(b) through 110.10(d) and Table 110.10-A.
(c) Nonresidential Buildings. 2025 California Energy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies— Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(a)4, "Covered Occupancies - Nonresidential Buildings," is hereby amended to read as follows:
4. Nonresidential Buildings. Nonresidential buildings with three habitable stories or fewer, other than I-2 and I2.1 buildings that do not have a photovoltaic system installed, shall comply with the requirements of Section 110.10(b) through 110.10(d) and Table 110.10-A.
(d) Solar Panel Requirements for All New Nonresidential and High-Rise Residential Buildings. 2025 California Energy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies—Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(a), "Covered Occupancies," is hereby amended by adding the following table to the end of subsection (a) :
| Table 110.10-A: Solar Panel Requirements for All New Nonresidential and High-Rise Residential Buildings |
|
|---|---|
| Square footage of building | Size of panel |
| Less than 10,000 sq. ft. | Minimum of 3-kilowatt PV systems |
| Greater than or equal to 10,000 sq. ft. | Minimum of 5-kilowatt PV systems |
| **EXCEPTION:**As an alternative to a solar PV system, the building type may provide a solar hot water system (solar thermal) with a minimum collector area of 40 square feet, additional to |
Table 110.10-A: Solar Panel Requirements for All New Nonresidential and High-Rise Residential Buildings
Square footage of building Size of panel
any other solar thermal equipment otherwise required for compliance with Part 6
- (e) Minimum Solar Area – Exceptions. 2025 California Energy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies—Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(b)1B, "Minimum Solar Zone Area-Multifamily Buildings, Hotel/Motel Occupancies and Nonresidential Buildings," Exception 2, is hereby amended to read as follows:
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 110.10(b)1B: High-rise multifamily buildings, hotel/motel occupancies with a permanently installed domestic solar water-heating system complying with Section 150.1(c)8Biii and an additional collector area of 40 square feet.
- (f) Minimum Solar Area – Performance Equivalency. 2025 California Energy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies—Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(b)1B, "Minimum Solar Zone Area - Multifamily Buildings, Hotel/Motel Occupancies, and Nonresidential Buildings," is hereby amended by adding the following new Exception 6 after Exception 5:
EXCEPTION 6 to Section 110.10(b)1B: Performance equivalency approved by the Building Official.
- (g) Minimum Solar Area – Shading. 2025 California Energy Code Subchapter 2, "All Occupancies— Mandatory Requirements for the Manufacture, Construction and Installation of Systems, Equipment and Building Components," Section 110.10(b)3, "Minimum Solar Zone Area — Shading," is hereby amended by adding the following after Paragraph B:
110.10(b)3C. The solar zone needs to account for shading from obstructions that may impact the area required in 110.10(b)1B. When determined by the Building Official that conditions exist where excessive shading occurs and solar zones cannot be met, a performance equivalency approved by the Building Official may be used as an alternative.
(Ord. 2081, 11/4/2025)
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