California Title 24 includes legitimate exemptions to the ADU solar mandate — but they must be documented on your CF1R compliance form by a CEA-certified energy consultant. Here are the four legal pathways and when each applies.
If your roof receives less than 70% annual solar access (measured by a Solmetric Suneye or equivalent), the PV requirement can be reduced or waived entirely. Common causes: tall neighboring trees, two-story neighboring homes, north-facing single-slope roofs.
If the available unshaded roof can't physically fit the required PV size after setbacks (3 ft fire setback at ridges, 18 in at edges), the system size is reduced to fit what the roof allows.
Adding a qualifying battery (≥7.5 kWh usable, ≥1.5 kW continuous) allows a smaller PV system to satisfy Title 24 via the 'PV+Battery' compliance pathway.
In limited utility territories, subscribing to a qualifying community solar program can substitute for onsite PV. This pathway is rare and varies by utility.
A California Energy Alliance (CEA) certified Title 24 energy consultant — your solar provider can usually arrange this for $300–$600.
If properly documented (with shading reports, roof drawings, or battery specs), exemptions are routinely approved. The CF1R is a state-standardized form.
Usually it's cheaper to install a small ADU solar system (~$8K with the federal tax credit) than to engineer an exemption (~$1.5K consultant + ongoing energy bills).