The guidebook was funded through the California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge program. The goal was to create a resource that could help local authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) and industry professionals develop more standardized and streamlined local permitting procedures for residential and commercial projects, while also improving communication among stakeholders, especially AHJs and installers.
Q: What types of energy storage systems does this Guidebook cover?
A: While there is a wide range of storage technologies and applications, the team focused on BESS of less than 1 MW in capacity. According to the CEC’s California Energy Storage System Survey, more than 98.5% of the installed systems covered in that survey are residential storage systems, with an average size of 7 kW and a maximum size of 250 kW. So, clearly, the greatest need for providing guidance in the permitting process was with the smaller, back-of-the-meter systems.
Q: What building types are primarily the focus for these types of BESS?
A: Typically, these smaller BESS are installed in residential, multifamily and small commercial buildings. These projects can involve a wide range of site conditions, electrical configurations, installation locations, and code requirements, which is one reason permitting practices can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Q: Does the Guidebook offer a standardized permitting process that local jurisdictions can implement?
A: While that was the intent of the project, the team found that the wide variety of BESS installation types, building conditions and local permitting makes a single “one-size-fits-all” approach difficult to apply statewide. Instead, the Guidebook consolidates insights and information from AHJs statewide to share best practices and success stories so that individual jurisdictions can select approaches that might best fit similar local needs.
Q: Can you give us a thumbnail view of the Guidebook contents?
A: Absolutely! There are five main sections:
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Section 1: Introduction provides background on the project and a general overview.
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Section 2: Codes and Standards examines the various parts of Title 24 most relevant to BESS installations (Part 2.5, the Residential Code; Part 3, the Electrical Code; Part 6, the Energy Code; and Part 9, the Fire Code).
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Section 3: Energy Storage Permit Process offers an overview of a typical permit review process and highlights permitting best practices from across the state.
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Section 4: Electronic and Automated Permitting looks at examples of electronic permitting systems.
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Section 5: Permitting Resources includes Energy Code Ace guidance on the Energy Code, along with a permitting toolkit and additional resources.
Q: What last words of advice do you have for local jurisdiction staff?
A: We are always interested in hearing from local staff about best practices and where additional guidance would be useful. Areas we would like to get feedback on include topics like what is working well in an individual jurisdiction, or if there’s content missing that would make the Guidebook more useful for local staff.
Because codes, technologies, and permitting practices continue to evolve, we will continue to refine and update the Guidebook through Q1 2027, and of course, the resource will remain active beyond that time frame. Individuals are encouraged to email feedback, questions or concerns to storage.guidebook@energycenter.org.