Bets on when that one inspector in PA whips out a 25.4mm calibration spacer and tells you the gap between stacked units is less 1 inch...
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Santa Clara County retroactively Changing ESS Rules
- Thread starter Vines
- Start date
Bets on when that one inspector in PA whips out a 25.4mm calibration spacer and tells you the gap between stacked units is less 1 inch...
I assume if stacked, you still need to run all the wiring, disconnects, etc as if it is a single unit?
awesome, I am in Campbell, since I am sure Tesla won't sell me another just PW, do you install those?
The firm I work for will typically not install an addition to other electricians installations.
Campbell is also one jurisdiction that does not allow stacking at the moment. They are following the lead of Santa Clara County Fire.
Yes, all other requirements remain. Stacking in just a physical configuration that does not affect the electrical details much.
Man, I hope in like 50 years, homes will be so smart people will just hit up Home Depot... and come home with a couple extra batteries that they picked up on some Labor Day sale. They'll drop these bad boys into some slot in their garage to better use that clean on-prem generation kit they just bought the previous weekend. And of course PG&E will be disbanded as a relic of the old days when phones had cords and strip malls had Gamestops Blockbusters.
I am in the middle of this mess. Started the project in 2019 in unincorporated San Jose.
First the county required me to remove my water softener, so that there was no water near the powerwalls. Then they would not let us mount them in the same location as it was near a door to an outside storage room (no access to the house) and near a window that goes into a closet that is blocked by a built-in closet (shelves, drawers and a rod). We already had approved plans, but that does not seem to matter.
The only location left was the garage, so we put them on the left side and now they are saying we need bollards which will make the garage and/or driveway unusable as you can either put a car in the garage, or in the driveway but not both if the bollards are installed. If they had previously told us about the bollards, we would have put the powerwalls in a different location in the garage.
Based on this experience and the one I had putting solar on my roof in 2009, it seems like the rules change constantly (all of my panels are separately grounded for example) and are partly based on the person doing the inspection.
First the county required me to remove my water softener, so that there was no water near the powerwalls. Then they would not let us mount them in the same location as it was near a door to an outside storage room (no access to the house) and near a window that goes into a closet that is blocked by a built-in closet (shelves, drawers and a rod). We already had approved plans, but that does not seem to matter.
The only location left was the garage, so we put them on the left side and now they are saying we need bollards which will make the garage and/or driveway unusable as you can either put a car in the garage, or in the driveway but not both if the bollards are installed. If they had previously told us about the bollards, we would have put the powerwalls in a different location in the garage.
Based on this experience and the one I had putting solar on my roof in 2009, it seems like the rules change constantly (all of my panels are separately grounded for example) and are partly based on the person doing the inspection.
Of course with my luck! lol ok, so it has to be Tesla and I have to wait till approved!
AllThingsT3sla
Member
In my city in San Benito County, California, its 1 dude and the inspection takes minutes. Gotta love the 'sticks!!!
AllThingsT3sla
Member
Solar Panel install just completed. It went a little too fast. 8:30am-1:30pm. 18 panels about 5 installers, three locations on my roof. As you can see from the photo, the stud finding expertise just wasn't quite there. Praying there water proofing skills were a little better. Just found out for the first time that the micro inverters cover 3 panels, not 1 as I was expecting, luckily my roof gets no shade. Just thought the microinverter thing was interesting, curious to know how long they've gone with the 3 panel version of the micro inverter...
AllThingsT3sla
Member
Santa Clara county sounds like permit/inspection hell. I live a shop hop from there and the inspectors are super chill.
You may be referring to Mid Circuit Interrupters (MCI)? As far as I know, There arent microinverters meant for 3 modules at a time, but I'd be curious to know more. Was Telsa your installer?
Hope they attached it to the rafters properly after that picture was taken!! It's really not safe if not properly attached to the roof.
Anyone in California get Tesla to install a Powerwall within 3 feet of a bathroom window? The Tesla designer thought it was fine since the window was not "directly entering the dwelling unit” as defined in 2019 California Residential Code R327.4. However now inspection saying won't pass...
The inspector is probably correct in this case.
If the permit was pulled after July 1 2021, the new CRC R327.4 requires Powerwalls to be 36" from doors and windows which directly enter the dwelling unit. The dwelling unit certainly includes the bathroom. So not sure what the designer was thinking, tell them to read the definition of the dwelling unit.
Basically, unless that door or window leads to a garage, uninhabited basement, or other non-habitable space, then you need 36" clear from it to the ESS. An exception that the code does not yet recognize but some jurisdictions may accept, would be glazing with a fire protection rating.
Thank you. Yeah the permit was pulled in August 2021. Some suggestions were that if we swap out the small window to a fixed (non-opening) window San Jose inspector might pass it... but not sure that's gonna fly.
I doubt that flies in San Jose, but fire protection glazing might satisfy if you asked the inspector.
Regardless, that seems like more work than moving the Powerwalls.
One thing you need to check is the size of the window. As if the window is smaller the curtain size you should be ok.
@CrazyNavi not sure what you mean by that curtain size comment. But it's a small 2x3 foot single-hung window.
Similar threads
