What's in a solar permit plan set? A sheet-by-sheet walkthrough

Why the set is split the way it is

A permit set is not one drawing cut into pieces. It is organised around who reads it. A building plan checker wants to know what is going on the roof and what holds it there. An electrical reviewer wants conductor sizing, overcurrent protection and the busbar arithmetic. A fire reviewer wants access pathways and shutdown labelling. Giving each of them a sheet they can sign off without hunting is most of what makes a set go through first time.

PV 0.0 — Cover sheet

The cover carries the project data block, the system specification, the governing codes with their edition years, the sheet index, and general notes. It is the first thing read and the first thing used against you: if the code edition on this sheet is not the edition your jurisdiction actually adopted, everything drawn to it is open to challenge.

It also carries the plot plan — the property outline, setbacks and the building footprint at a small scale. Not the array layout; that is the next sheet.

PV 1.0 — Site plan and array layout

The working drawing. Roof planes with slope and azimuth, module layout, racking rails, attachment points at their spacing, string routing, conduit runs, and the equipment locations — main service panel, inverter, disconnect, meter.

It also carries the fire access pathways and ridge setbacks, dimensioned. Those dimensions are a common rejection: not because they were forgotten, but because they were drawn to a different edition of the fire code than the one in force. See fire access pathways and setbacks.

Load calculations usually sit on this sheet too: module weight, attachment count, distributed load in pounds per square foot, and the percentage of roof area covered.

E 1.1 — Three-line diagram

The electrical reviewer's sheet. Every conductor from module to point of interconnection, with size, insulation type and conduit. Overcurrent devices with their ratings. Grounding and bonding. The equipment schedule.

The 120% busbar calculation lives here, printed as arithmetic rather than asserted. A set that says "complies with 705.12" without showing the numbers invites a correction notice. See the 120% rule explained.

S 1.1 — Installation notes and attachment details

Sections through the roof assembly showing how the array attaches: the hardware, the fastener, the embedment depth, the flashing method, and the rafter size and spacing it lands on. Drawn per roof covering, because a tile hook and a composition-shingle lag are different details with different pull-out values.

This sheet is where a structural stamp attaches when one is required. The sheet itself is standard; the sealed calculation package behind it is the add-on. See when you actually need a structural stamp.

E 1.2 — Warning labels and placard schedule

Every placard the installed system must carry, with its exact wording, where it goes and what it has to survive. Reviewers check this sheet quickly and inspectors check it slowly — it is one of the most common reasons a job fails inspection after passing plan check. See rapid shutdown labelling.

The battery sheet

An energy storage system adds a sheet: battery location and mounting, separation distances, egress clearance, ventilation, and the signage specific to storage. NFPA 855 and the adopted fire code drive most of it, and several jurisdictions amend it further.

Specification sheets

Manufacturer cut sheets for every component — modules, inverters, optimisers or rapid shutdown devices, racking, batteries. They carry the UL listing numbers a reviewer will look for. Omitting them, or sending them separately from the set, is an avoidable correction.

What a complete set looks like