Service
Solar Exemption and Shade Analysis in Tahoe and Truckee
California requires most new homes to include solar, but heavily shaded sites can qualify for an exemption. A solar shade analysis models your roof's solar access to determine what's actually required.
Why does solar access matter on Tahoe and Truckee lots?
On the heavily forested, terrain-shaded lots common around Truckee and Tahoe, the solar requirement can be reduced or waived entirely. The catch is that you have to prove it, with a documented solar shade analysis the building department will accept.
How is the shade analysis done?
We model your roof's real solar access in Helioscope, the state-approved software, accounting for trees, neighboring structures, and the surrounding terrain.
What does the analysis show?
How much usable sun the roof receives, and the required solar installation or the documented exemption under California's rules.
What’s included
- Solar shade / access analysis (Helioscope)
- Single-family exemption modeling
- Multi-family exemption modeling
- California solar-requirement determination
- Cost-efficiency guidance
For builders & architects
We model solar access early so you know whether the project carries a solar requirement or qualifies for an exemption before you finalize the roof.
For homeowners
If your lot is shaded by trees or terrain, you may not have to install solar, and we run the analysis that proves it.
Field service runs the Tahoe–Truckee–Reno and Eastern Sierra corridor: see where we work.
Service FAQ
Solar Exemptions: common questions
Quick answers for this service. More in our full FAQ.
For most new residential construction, yes. California's energy code requires a solar electric system. But heavily shaded lots can qualify for a reduced requirement or an exemption, which is what a solar shade analysis is for.
It comes down to solar access. Using state-approved Helioscope software, we model how much usable sun your roof actually gets after trees and terrain. If shading is heavy enough, the analysis documents a reduced requirement or full exemption for your permit.
Maybe not. Mountain lots in the Tahoe–Truckee area are often shaded by dense forest, which is exactly the case an exemption analysis is built to prove. We run the shade model and document whether your project qualifies for relief from the solar requirement.
Yes. We run exemption analyses for both single-family and multi-family projects, model the required solar installation under state rules, and advise the most cost-efficient path to develop the project.
Early, before you finalize the roof. Knowing whether a project carries a solar requirement or qualifies for an exemption up front lets you design the roof and budget accordingly, instead of reworking plans late in permitting.
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