[RE-wrenches] Serviceable equipment on a roof

Daniel Young dyoung at dovetailsolar.com
Thu Aug 13 07:51:07 PDT 2015


We actually planned on bringing that to him next time as well, he didn’t care that we said we would be tied off if any work were needed in the future, but the words “permanently installed” might change his tune. 

 

With Regards,

 

Daniel Young, 

NABCEP Certified PV Installation ProfessionalTM: Cert #031508-90

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of william at millersolar.com
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2015 10:38 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Serviceable equipment on a roof

 

Daniel:

 

Could you install permanent fall protection anchors strategically located?  Service personnel could anchor in wherever needed. S-5 style fall anchors are made. 

 

Wm




On Aug 13, 2015, at 7:30 AM, Daniel Young <dyoung at dovetailsolar.com> wrote:

We have a job going in on  1 ¼”:12 standing seam commercial roof. When we tried to walk the drawings through the permit department, we were told that we had to keep the solar modules 10’ from the roof edge because they are serviceable equipment.

 

We’ve run into this before, and have been successful arguing that the solar modules are not installed as serviceable equipment (they require service intervals closer to the roof membrane on flat roofs [little to no attention for 20+yrs], rather than the roof top AC unit as an example). We install all pass-thru boxes or other similar enclosures at least 10’ from the roof edge as well to make it clear the most likely parts to be inspected/serviced would be safe. We also pointed out the International Fire codes rules on keeping the array 4’ from the edge of the roof (smaller commercial building, so we are in the 4’ setback category, rather than the 6’ setback). To all this he said “you can’t tell me that no one will ever service those solar modules. If someone falls off the roof and dies, I wanna be able to say I did my job…”

 

So, I think my only option is to point to a well backed definition for serviceable equipment to show him that the solar modules do not qualify. Does anyone have any good source to help with this issue? Or would the majority of you say that 10’ is the right call anyway?

 

I know I might just be up against a hard ^%$# inspector and have to just go with it, but I also do not want to set precedent within my states default commercial code agency if I don’t have to.

 

With Regards,

 

Daniel Young, 

NABCEP Certified PV Installation ProfessionalTM: Cert #031508-90

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