What is the “minimal shading” criterion?
Shading of the solar electric system is potentially the most critical problem to avoid over the life of the system to ensure high performance. Shading can be caused by: 1) obstructions that exist at the time of the installation of the system; or 2) obstructions that occur through the maturation of trees or the subsequent construction of neighboring structures. To protect California’s investment in solar systems and to ensure homeowners get what they paid for, it is critical to avoid both types of obstructions. The “minimal shading” criterion is designed to do this. The “minimal shading” criterion is intended to ensure that no obstruction is closer than a distance (“D”) of twice the height (“H”) it extends above the PV modules. Any obstruction that projects above any portion of the PV array must meet this criterion for the PV array to be considered minimally shaded. Obstructions that are subject to this criterion include any vent; chimney; architectural feature; mechanical equipment or
