Evolving Standards and Codes Impacting Solar Racking Manufacturers and Suppliers

National Research Council of Canada (NRC)* in collaboration with the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) are currently working on developing a solar PV roofing assembly standard, expected to be included in future editions of the National Building Code of Canada and National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings.

Installation of solar panels racking on a residential home

In one of our previous posts we already talked about the development of Constructions Guidelines for Solar Ready Homes in Canada. As part of the Federal Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate, both national building and energy codes are expected to evolve whereby requiring buildings to eventually become Net Zero or Net Zero Ready. This presents a tremendous opportunity for solar PV technologies to become a standard component in future new build and retrofit buildings.

Rooftop Solar Panels System on a residential home in Calgary

Today when we talk about rooftop solar panels installations, there’s a lot information that can and should be included in the National Building Code of Canada and National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Yes, solar PV modules are certified to UL, IEC, and IEEE standards. However, these standards do not address numerous roof-specific factors: wind resistance of the photovoltaic roof assembly (PVRA); load transfer of the PV system to the roof assembly; waterproofing of roof penetrations; and impacts of PV systems on PVRA structural integrity and durability. In addition to an absent PVRA-related standard, there are currently no standardized test methods for determining the collective performance of a PVRA. These are key challenges that have been identified by the NRC and the Canadian roofing community.

* NRC is the Government of Canada’s premier research organization and is responsible for the development of national building and energy codes.