Littleton staff to move forward with state model electric and solar-ready code; adoption scheduled this summer

Tim Simon, Littleton's chief building official, told the Environmental Stewardship Board that the city plans to adopt the Colorado model electric and solar-ready code during the next municipal code cycle, with adoption scheduled after study sessions in June and July and a target effective date of Aug. 1.

Simon said the state-required model covers new construction across building types and requires provisions such as solar-ready roof zones, wiring for electric-ready appliances and EV-ready parking infrastructure in new developments. Greg Lang, the city's electrical inspector, noted the code is compact (about 10'15 pages) but carries requirements that will affect residential, multifamily and commercial new construction.

Key requirements described at the meeting include:

- Single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses with dedicated parking: one EV-ready space required (branch circuit and conduit terminating near the parking space). - Multifamily and larger commercial buildings: higher percentages of EV-capable or EV-ready spaces required depending on project type; level 3 (DC fast-charging) installations may substitute for multiple EV spaces when appropriate. - Solar-ready roof zones for some residential roofs: the code specifies a minimum solar-ready area (the presentation referenced a 600-square-foot figure and explained solar-ready zones must be free of obstructions and shading and meet orientation requirements). - First-tenant responsibilities: in new commercial "core and shell" buildings, the first tenant finish will bear certain electric-ready responsibilities when a building is delivered as a white box rather than a finished space.

Simon said the requirement to adopt or create a local equivalent followed state guidance tied to model code publication; municipalities adopting this code will require that building permits issued after adoption come into compliance with the new rules. "This code was required to be adopted or each municipality was required to write their own code that met or exceeded this code, at the next code adoption after December 2023," Simon said.

Board members asked how the code would affect projects already approved and in process; staff said the rule applies to building permits issued after adoption (permits issued before adoption are not retroactively covered). The group also discussed waivers and cost-relief mechanisms: the model allows waiver requests and includes a provision where a project may spend a defined percentage of its mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) costs (for example, 1% of MEP costs) on EV infrastructure in lieu of meeting the raw-space count in some circumstances.

Lang described enforcement and inspection implications and told the board many contractors already plan for solar or electrification on larger projects. Board members raised questions about roof access for fire safety (setbacks and access paths) and the city's upcoming green-building program; Tim Simon said some amendments and guidance on enforcement will be considered after initial adoption.

No formal vote was taken by the board. Staff announced a study session on the code package and asked interested board members and residents to attend.

Ending

City staff said they will bring the code package through the scheduled public study sessions in June and July and to formal adoption on Aug. 1; officials emphasized that building permits issued after adoption will be expected to comply with the new electric and solar-ready requirements.