The Solar System Is a Different Size Than the CF1R: What to Do
Put the installer's final design beside the CF1R and compare four things: array size in kW, azimuth and tilt, shading, and any battery. A bigger array rarely hurts, but a smaller, shadier or differently aimed one can. If the home may no longer comply, amended documents go back to the building department.
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What each reviewer checks
The plans examiner checks PV capacity, orientation and tilt, shading, and any battery capacity and controls against the CF1R. The contractor then documents the installed system on CF2R-PVB-01-E, and a battery on CF2R-PVB-02-E, to show it matches.
A smaller array
Prescriptively the required output is the smaller of the Equation 150.1-C result and the solar access roof area times 18 watts (steep roofs) or 14 (low-sloped). A smaller system can be legitimate: in the manual's Example 7-4 a mature tree leaves 133 square feet of usable roof, and the requirement falls from 2.77 kW to 2.4 kW, supported by an approved solar assessment tool. Under the performance method more shading needs a larger array, not a smaller one.
A different direction or slope
Prescriptively, modules steeper than 2:12 must face an azimuth of 90 to 300 degrees from true north; low-slope modules may face any way. The simplified performance options are tighter: California Flexible Installation 1 needs 150 to 270 degrees, and option 2 allows 105 to 300 with about a 10 percent penalty. An array moved outside the window the CF1R modelled should go to the department as a revision request.
A battery added late
Exception 5 to Section 150.1(c)14 lets the required PV size shrink by 25 percent with a JA12-qualified battery of at least 7.5 kWh compliance cycling capacity. In the performance method a battery of 5 kWh or more paired with PV earns credit that can offset part of an efficiency shortfall, and a standalone battery earns none. To count, the battery must appear on the certificate of compliance, so a late battery calls for amended documents, not only a CF2R-PVB-02-E.
Additions and remodels
Additions are not required to meet the prescriptive PV requirement, so a size mismatch is mostly a new-home question. See solar system size for a new home, JA12 battery storage and adding solar to an existing home. Plan-check mismatches are covered in why the checker says the report does not match, and a revised CF1R begins at our residential reports.
Common Title 24 Questions
- What is Title 24?
- Do I need a Title 24 report?
- How much does a Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a Title 24 report take?
- What is included in a Title 24 report?
- What plans do I need to upload?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The CF2R records what was installed. If the system departs from the CF1R so the home may no longer comply, Section 10-103(a)2B requires amended plans and certificates for the department to approve.
Not for the efficiency budget. PV has no effect on the efficiency metric, so it cannot stand in for efficiency measures, although a more efficient house may comply with a smaller system.
Explore Title 24 Revisions
- Do Lighting Changes After the Report Need a Revised CF1R?
- The House Was Mirrored or Rotated After the CF1R: Is the Report Still Valid?
- The Square Footage Changed After the CF1R: Do I Need a New Report?
- Title 24 for a Permit Revision After Plan Check
- What Happens If the Architect Changes the Plans After Title 24?
View all Title 24 Revisions guides → · Permits and Compliance · Title 24 guide