Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code

Click the link for the Final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code on the Colorado Energy Office's website. 

Punchlist of Requirements for Residential Buildings

Residential one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses new construction and major renovations or additions (work area exceeds 50% of the building area):

Electric Ready

Combustion equipment shall be provided with all of the following:

• Dedicated, appropriately phased branch circuit sized to accommodate future electric equipment or appliances to serve a comparable capacity to meet the heating load.
• An electric receptacle or junction box provided within 3 feet of the combustion equipment or appliances, or within 3 feet of the dedicated physical space for future electric equipment or appliances and is connected to the electrical panel through the branch circuit. Each electrical receptacle or junction box shall have reasonable access to the combustion equipment or dedicated physical space for future electric equipment with no obstructions other than the current combustion equipment.

Exception: For combustion equipment dedicated to space or water heating, the electrical receptacle or junction box shall be located not more than 6 feet from the combustion equipment or the dedicated physical space for future electric equipment.  

The electric panel shall have a reserved space for a minimum two-pole circuit breaker for each branch circuit provided for future electric equipment or appliances.  

The junction box or receptacle and the dedicated circuit breaker space serving future electric equipment or appliances in the electrical panel shall be labeled for their intended use.

Solar Ready

Low sloped roofs (2% slope or less) or a roof with not less than 600 square feet of roof area oriented between 110 degrees and 270 degrees of true north shall have an identified solar-ready zone and the construction document shall indicate the solar-ready zone.

The total solar-ready zone area for each dwelling shall:

• Be not less than 300 square feet exclusive of mandatory access or setback areas as required by the International Fire Code.
• Be composed of areas not less than 5 feet in width and not less than 80 square feet exclusive of access or setback areas.
• Be free from obstructions, including but not limited to, vents, chimneys, and roof-mounted equipment.

Townhouse exception: The solar-ready zone for townhouses three stories or less in height above grade plane and with a total floor area less than or equal to 2,000 square feet of conditioned space per townhouse unit shall have a solar-ready zone area of not less than 150 square feet.

Electrical service panel

• The main electrical service panel shall have sufficient reserved space to allow the installation of a dual pole circuit breaker for future solar electrical installation and shall be labeled “For Future Solar Electric”. The reserved space shall be positioned at the opposite (load) end from the input feeder location or main circuit location.
• A permanent certificate, indicating the solar-ready zone and other requirements, shall be posted near the electrical distribution panel, water heater, or other conspicuous location.

Construction documents 

• Indicate at least one potential pathway for routing of conduit and/or raceway from the solar-ready zone to the electrical service panel and shall be labeled as “Potential Pathway” on the construction documents.
• The structural design loads of roof dead load and roof live load shall be clearly indicated.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Ready

Each dwelling unit with a dedicated attached or detached garage or other onsite designated parking provided for the dwelling unit shall be provided with one EV ready space per dwelling unit.

Each EV ready space shall have a branch circuit that complies with all of the following:

1. Terminates at a receptacle, located within 3 feet of each EV ready space it serves. EV ready includes two adjacent parking spaces if the receptacle for the electrical facilities of this section is installed adjacent to and between both parking spaces.
2. Has a minimum circuit capacity of 8.3 kVA (40 A 208/240V).
3. The electrical panel, electrical distribution equipment directory, and all outlets or enclosures shall be marked “For future electric vehicle supply equipment”.

Exception: A receptacle need not be provided if hard-wired electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is installed.

Construction documents shall designate the EV ready space and indicate the locations of raceway and/or conduit and the termination points serving them. The circuits or spaces reserved in the electrical panel for EV ready spaces shall be clearly identified in the panel or subpanel directory.