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 would make the exemption inapplicable to emergencies declared by the Governor on and after January 1, 2021, thereby extending the exemption to residential buildings damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster declared during the 2020 calendar year. Because a local agency would be required to determine whether those requirements are met, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.