S.F. No. 4144 Summary

• Requires utilities to provide customers' electricity usage data within ten days of a request when the data is relevant to interconnecting a solar facility, including monthly totals, time-of-use data, and demand charge information.

• Prohibits private entities (homeowners associations and community associations) from restricting roof-mounted solar energy systems on single-family dwellings, with exceptions for reasonable requirements such as licensed contractor installation and proper placement.

• Allows private entities to impose restrictions that do not decrease solar system energy generation by more than 20 percent or increase costs by more than 20 percent for solar water heaters or $2,000 for solar photovoltaic systems.

• Requires solar energy system applications to be processed like architectural modification requests, with private entities having 60 days to approve or deny in writing; applications are deemed approved if not denied within 60 days unless additional information is reasonably requested.

• Makes solar energy system restrictions subject to state and applicable safety standards, including certifications from the Solar Rating Certification Corporation and compliance with National Electrical Code and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards.