Solar/Wind Construction Permitting Standards

Summary

The following standards apply to solar PV systems of any size and wind systems 10 kilowatts or less:

Licensing Requirements

Any person bidding or contracting for the installation of a solar PV system or a wind system 10 kW or less must possess a valid license issued by the construction industries division (CID) in the EE-98 or ER-1 license classification.

Any person performing the installation of a solar PV system or a wind system 10 kW or less must possess a valid journeyman certificate issued by CID in the EE-98J or ER-1J classification, or be an apprentice working under the direct supervision of such a certified journeyman.

Uniform Permitting Standards

A structural analysis must be performed by a structural engineer licensed in the state of New Mexico in order to determine if the roof structure is capable of supporting the added loads of a wind turbine 10 kW or less. A structural analysis is only required for a solar PV system if one of the following criteria is met:

• Total added dead load of the array is greater than five lbs. per sq. ft. on roof construction
• Total added point load of the array is greater than 45 lbs. on roof construction
• Total added dead load exceeds 200 lbs. on any one truss, rafter, or roof joist
• Mounting of the system is of a unique roof-mounted design
• Roof structure contains over-spanned trusses, rafters, or roof joists.

A general solar PV electric system construction building permit for the mounting of the system on the roof will be required only if structural reinforcement is required by a structural engineer licensed in the state of New Mexico. For both solar PV and wind systems, if structural modifications are not required, one electrical permit shall be issued to a properly licensed contractor for solar collector installation.