Aurora Solar, a company that creates software for residential and commercial solar design, is the first company to formally receive the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) certification as an approved solar assessment tool for solar access verification for new home construction.
California’s updated 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6) requires all new construction for single- and multi-family homes under three stories to install solar panels.
“This new solar mandate presents new challenges for the homebuilding industry – especially designing PV systems for buildings and measuring solar access for roofs that haven’t been constructed yet,” says Meredith McClintock, head of business development at Aurora Solar.
“Aurora helps solar installers, builders, and others overcome these challenges; our tools enable professionals to quickly and correctly size PV systems, and export reports that can be submitted to the CEC,” she adds.
Aurora Solar’s team has been working with the CEC’s Efficiency Division since September 2019, as well as industry professionals to determine how their software can help the industry meet the requirements of Title 24.
In addition to getting Aurora approved for the uses as specified in Appendix JA11.4 Solar Access Verification (a), Aurora Solar’s team put together a guide to help the industry navigate the solar mandate.
Included in the guide is the new process homebuilders will need to adopt in order to certify their PV systems, a step-by-step guide on how to use Aurora in the new workflow and additional resources such as all the required documentation needed for compliance.
Photo: An uploaded image of a blueprint on Aurora’s solar assessment tool
