Energy: building standards: photovoltaic requirements.

Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, energy efficiency standards, including appliance efficiency standards. Pursuant to this authority, the commission has established regulations requiring solar-ready buildings and for the installation of photovoltaic systems meeting certain requirements for low-rise residential buildings built on or after January 1, 2020. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, specifies that residential construction intended to repair, restore, or replace a residential building damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in an area in which a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor before January 1, 2020, is required to comply with the photovoltaic requirements, if any, that were in effect at the time the damaged or destroyed residential building was originally constructed and is not required to comply with any additional or conflicting photovoltaic requirements in effect at the time of repair, restoration, or replacement. Existing law provides that this provision applies if certain requirements are met with respect to the owner's income and insurance coverage and the location and square footage of the construction. This bill would extend the operation of the above-described exemption from the commission's requirements for the installation of photovoltaic systems until January 1, 2024, and extend the exemption to residential buildings damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster declared during the 2020 calendar year. The bill would require the commission to collect data on the use and application of the exemption from local permitting agencies and, on or before March 1, 2023, and again on or before March 1, 2024, to prepare and submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature concerning the exemption, as provided. Because a local agency would be required to determine whether those requirements are met, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.