[RE-wrenches] Ballasted ground mouont

[William Miller]

Friends:



I have a client that is trying to meet a 4/14/26 deadline to construct a
grid-tied system under the NEM2 rate structure.  She contacted me late in
the process to see if I could design a system that could be permitted and
built by that date.



Her roof is inadequate so I proposed a ground-mount.  Any racking system
that penetrates the ground would need a soils study to avoid a forest of
posts with concrete.  Without a soils study the assumption is the ground
has the consistency of beach sand.  We did not have the time for a soils
study.  Therefore I suggested a ballasted ground mount.



The AHJ favors “pre-engineered, ready-to-use” designs (their quote).
Unirac provides this service for their RM10EVO product and also stipulates
approval for ground mounting.  We entered the information into the
U-Builder web portal, including a California address, and received an
engineering report certifying a design with the required parts and ballast
blocks.



The AHJ failed to recognize this as a pre-engineered, ready-to-use design
and called for a wet-stamped engineering report.  For a mere $350 Unirac
offered to provide this, a fair price.  In the process of requesting this
report we were informed that the California code cycle had updated on
1/1/2026 and new standards are in place.  The old standard is ASCE7-16.
 The new one is ASCE 7-22.  Unirac told me that they have yet to be
certified for 7-22 for the RM10EVO.  Oddly the U-builder report states
compliance with 7-22 but apparently this is an error.  Unirac will not
provide a wet-stamp certifying compliance with 7-22 and the 2025 California
Residential Code and/or the 2025 California Building Code.



I write this for two reasons:  1. This is a big heads up if any of you have
projects in the pipeline that depend on these codes, and 2. Do any of you
know of any ground-approved, ballasted racking systems I should be
considering?



Thanks in advance for any input.



William





William Miller

Miller Solar

www.millersolar.com

CA License C-10 77398
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