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<font size=3>Allan:<br><br>
I bid a job for a fellow that designed roof trusses for a living.
Here is what he said: Each roof is designed for live loads and dead
loads. Live loads, as I understand it, are workers and materials to
be installed. The dead loads are for wind and snow. If you
put solar modules on a roof surface, you can no longer stock materials or
walk on that area. Therefore, you can claim the extra capacity
reserved for live loads to use for your dead load increase -- the PV
modules.<br><br>
Santa Barbara County has a sensible approach: If your roof is a modern
truss roof, you are not required to provide engineering. If your
roof is a site-framed roof, you are required to provide some kind of
engineering.<br><br>
Allan, if you find you lose this battle and are required to provide
engineering, see if you can work this around so that you receive a
generic engineering report that might apply to any modern truss based
roof system. This means you only pay for this once (unless you do
older homes frequently).<br><br>
When we had our first commercial job reviewed by a structural engineer, I
learned an interesting point: It is easy to attach upper land lower
rack supports to the same trusses since they are usually in line with
factory built racks we use. This concentrates loads. If
possible, stagger the attachments across adjacent trusses.<br><br>
I hope this helps.<br><br>
William Miller<br><br>
<br><br>
At 05:26 PM 7/7/2009, you wrote:<br>
</font><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><font face="arial" size=2>Wrenches,<br>
We are currently facing a city permitting bureaucracy that has recently
discovered solar – that is, suddenly each department in the permitting
and plan review departments is coming up with standards for PV systems.
Some of the standards, of course, make no sense. <br>
<br>
PV systems typically add about three pounds per square foot to the
loading on a roof. We are facing a city requirement for structural
engineering work for standard roof attachment if the mounting approach is
to make penetrations into the roof structure. This is a typical
requirement that will only add considerable cost to each PV system, and
we’re looking to have our ammunition to fight this well stocked in
advance. Specifically, are building authorities in other jurisdictions
requiring structural engineering work for this type of roof
attachment?<br>
<br>
Thanks <br>
Allan<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>Allan Sindelar<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2><a href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com">Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</a><br>
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer<br>
EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>Positive Energy,
Inc.<br>
3201 Calle Marie<br>
Santa Fe</font>, New Mexico 87507<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>505 424-1112<br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2><a href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com">www.positiveenergysolar.com</a><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3> <br>
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17:54:00</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<u>Please note new e-mail address and domain:<br><br>
</u>William Miller <br>
Miller Solar<br>
Voice :805-438-5600 Fax:
805-438-4607<x-tab> </x-tab><br>
email: william@millersolar.com<br>
<a href="http://millersolar.com/" eudora="autourl">http://millersolar.com<br>
</a>License No. C-10-773985<br>
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