SBCC advances solar‑ready and EV panel changes but defers disputed bus‑bar clause

The State Building Code Council on Sept. 1 voted to direct staff to include most of a set of proposed residential code amendments aimed at better accommodating rooftop solar and electric‑vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, but it delayed one disputed clause that prescribes the breaker location in a home's electrical panel.

Vice Chair Jay Arnold opened the work session and asked Katie Sheehan, who presented amendments submitted through WASEA, to explain the proposals. She said the package ‘‘basically’’ defines certain inverter terms, clarifies photovoltaic inverter language and seeks to reserve space in electrical panels for future solar and EV equipment. "The intent is to create some room in the electrical panel where they're for future solar," she said.

Council members and outside experts debated a red‑lined sentence in R317.6.1 that would require the reserved breaker to be at the "opposite end of the bus bar from the main breaker." John Lang of WASEA said locating the reserved space there ‘‘saves some hours of labor and possible more expensive breakers’’ for future installations. Industry representatives pushed back: Greg Johnson of Avista warned the phrasing could conflict with National Electric Code requirements for bolting breakers that serve multiple sources and could inadvertently preclude inverters, meter collars or subpanels. "The National Electric Code requires that when you have multiple sources, it requires all breakers to be…screwed and bolted down," Johnson said.

Faced with technical disagreement, the council agreed to split the proposal: move the uncontested language into the CR‑103 for the public‑rulemaking file while holding the bus‑bar location clause for additional expert input and public comment. Roger Haringa moved to direct staff to draft all proposed changes into the CR‑103 except paragraph R317.6.1; Katie Sheehan seconded and the motion carried. The council also asked staff to coordinate the EVSE definition with building‑code language and to include labeling that specifies electrical vehicle outlet voltage.

The deferred bus‑bar issue is expected to return for further discussion with additional stakeholder input before the council advances it in the code cycle.