Key takeaways
- Four articles carry most of a plan set: NEC 690 (PV system), 705 (interconnection), 706 (storage), 250 (grounding and bonding).
- NEC 2017 706.1 scoped storage by voltage (over 50 volts ac / 60 volts dc). NEC 2023 706.1 scopes it by capacity (greater than 3.6 MJ, 1 kWh). Different equipment lands in scope.
- NEC 2023 690.12 runs off an array boundary 1 foot from the array: 30 volts outside it, 80 volts inside it, both within 30 seconds. A listed UL 3741 system is the alternative path.
- NEC 2023 706.7 exempts one- and two-family dwellings from ESS commissioning; NEC 2023 706.15(B) emergency shutdown applies only to them. Two rules, opposite audiences.
- The 2026 NEC was issued in August 2025. The 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions are each enforced somewhere in the US today.
- Cite the cycle, not just the article. “690.12” with no edition attached is not one rule – it is three.
A solar plan set is governed by four NEC articles at minimum: Article 690 for the PV system itself, Article 705 for the interconnection, Article 706 for energy storage above 1 kWh, and Article 250 for grounding and bonding. Articles 691, 710, 712 and 480 apply to specific system types. Which edition of each one applies is set by your AHJ, not by NFPA.
Which NEC article governs what on your plan set?
Most NEC questions that come back as plan corrections are lookup questions: the reviewer is on a different article than the drafter, or a different edition of the same one. The map below is what we work from when drawing solar plan sets.
| NEC article | What it governs | What it drives on your plan set |
|---|---|---|
| Article 690 | PV systems – circuits, conductors, disconnects, rapid shutdown, marking | Three-line diagram, conductor and OCPD schedule, rapid shutdown scheme, label schedule |
| Article 691 | Large-scale PV supply stations, 5 MWac and up, not utility-controlled | Engineering documentation package, access and monitoring provisions |
| Article 705 | Interconnection of power sources to premises wiring or the service | Point-of-connection detail, busbar and feeder ampacity calculation, placards |
| Article 706 | Permanently installed energy storage above the capacity threshold | ESS one-line, disconnect and marking, emergency shutdown, commissioning note |
| Article 710 | Stand-alone systems – off-grid, or premises wiring with no utility source | Source capacity vs largest single load, inverter output sizing |
| Article 712 | DC microgrids (confirm it is in the edition your AHJ adopted) | DC bus detail, directory of power sources, DC-side overcurrent protection |
| Article 480 | Stationary standby batteries that are not an ESS under 706 | Battery rack detail, working space and ventilation notes, disconnect |
| Article 250 | Grounding and bonding for the whole installation | EGC sizing, GEC and electrode detail, module frame and racking bonding |
| Article 110 | General requirements – working space, listing, fault current | Working clearances, listing callouts, fault current data |
A PV-plus-storage job pulls 690, 705 and 706 at once, and the reviewer checks all three against each other. Article 250 appears in no solar-specific article title, which is why grounding goes missing. For how these land on sheets, see what a plan set includes.
What does Article 690 cover, and what changed after 2017?
Article 690 covers solar photovoltaic systems: circuits and conductors, disconnecting means, wiring methods, rapid shutdown, and marking. Circuit sizing lives in Part II, and maximum system voltage in NEC 2023 690.7 – the code home of string sizing.
The structural change installers still get wrong is where storage went. In the 2017 NEC, Article 690 carried a dedicated part for storage batteries. Article 706 arrived in that same cycle, and lithium ESS moved there. If your reference sends you to a battery part of Article 690, it predates the split, and a reviewer on the 2020 or 2023 cycle will not follow you.
The 2023 cycle moved several things. Definitions that lived in 690.2 went to Article 100. NEC 2023 690.7(D) requires the highest maximum DC voltage in the system to be marked. NEC 2023 690.31(G) adds requirements above 1000 volts DC. And rapid shutdown marking moved out of NEC 2020 690.56(C) into a new NEC 2023 690.12(D).
Each is a line item a reviewer can flag. Most corrections we see on inbound redlines are not code disagreements – they are edition mismatches, where the drawing is right for one cycle and the reviewer is on another. That is much of why plan sets get rejected.
How does NEC 2023 690.12 rapid shutdown actually read?
NEC 2023 690.12 is titled rapid shutdown of PV systems on buildings, and the operative concept is the array boundary. As the International Association of Electrical Inspectors describes it, the boundary sits 1 foot from the array in all directions. Controlled conductors outside it must be limited to not more than 30 volts within 30 seconds of initiation. Inside the boundary the limit is 80 volts within the same 30 seconds. A rapid shutdown note that does not state those numbers is not a compliance statement.
There are two paths. Limit the voltage with rapid shutdown equipment at the module or string level, or install a listed PV hazard control system evaluated to ANSI/CAN/UL 3741, the Standard for Photovoltaic Hazard Control. A PVHCS is listed as a system and installed per the instructions in its listing, so that documentation belongs in the submittal package. NEC 2023 690.12(C) covers the initiation device, which at one- and two-family dwellings has to be outside at a readily accessible location – a site plan item as much as a one-line item.
Two 2023-cycle changes are worth carrying. An exception was added so non-enclosed detached structures – carports, parking shade structures, solar trellises – need not comply with NEC 2023 690.12, because firefighters do not work those roofs. And the marking from NEC 2020 690.56(C) consolidated into NEC 2023 690.12(D). Rapid shutdown is a performance requirement with a boundary, two limits and a clock, not a device you specify and forget.
Which article governs the battery – 690, 706, or 480?
Article 706 covers permanently installed energy storage systems. Its scope test is where stale references do real damage.
NEC 2017 706.1 read: “This article applies to all permanently installed energy storage systems (ESS) operating at over 50 volts ac or 60 volts dc.” That is a voltage test. NEC 2023 706.1 applies instead to energy storage systems having a capacity greater than 3.6 MJ (1 kWh). That is a capacity test, and it is not the same set of equipment.
Work two cases. A 48-volt, 0.5 kWh battery is over 60 volts DC, so the 2017 test pulls it in – but under 1 kWh, the current scope leaves it out. A 24-volt, 5 kWh ESS is under both voltage thresholds, so the 2017 test misses it – but the current scope captures it squarely. Work from a voltage-based reference and you get both backwards.
Two more Article 706 rules run in opposite directions. NEC 2023 706.7 requires commissioning on installation for other than one- and two-family dwellings, so that note belongs on a commercial ESS job, not a house. NEC 2023 706.15(B) requires an ESS at a one- and two-family dwelling to include an emergency shutdown function that ceases export of power from the ESS to the premises wiring, with a readily accessible initiation device outside the building that plainly indicates off or on. That one is residential only, and it is not rapid shutdown.
Batteries that exist purely as standby fall under Article 480 instead. Confirm which one the reviewer is applying.
What does Article 705 control at the point of interconnection?
Article 705 governs interconnected electric power production sources: how inverter output ties into premises wiring or the service, and what the busbar takes.
NEC 2020 705.12(B)(3)(2) states that where two sources, one a primary power source and the other another power source, are located at opposite ends of a busbar that contains loads, the sum of 125 percent of the power source output circuit current and the rating of the overcurrent device protecting the busbar shall not exceed 120 percent of the ampacity of the busbar. That is the rule shorthanded as the 120 percent rule, and the shorthand is the problem – it is one of six permitted methods in NEC 2020 705.12(B)(3), and it describes only the opposite-ends configuration.
The 2023 cycle reorganized around it: NEC 2023 705.12(B) split into separate provisions for feeders and busbars, NEC 2023 705.11 became supply-side source connections, and a new Part III covers island mode.
One section needs separate tracking because it keeps moving. The 2020 NEC carried detailed power control system language in 705.13. The 2023 NEC retitled it energy management systems. The 2026 NEC returns it to power control systems, with the listing requirement pointing at UL 3141. If a PCS is what lets you skip a service upgrade, confirm which of the three applies.
Article 705 is also the seam where code requirements end and utility requirements begin. California Rule 21 shows how far a utility rule can reach past the code.
When do Articles 691, 710 and 712 apply?
Article 691 covers large-scale photovoltaic electric supply stations – generating capacity of 5 MWac and up, not under exclusive utility control. It does not replace Article 690; it layers documentation, access and monitoring requirements on top, including an engineering documentation package prepared under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer. The 2023 cycle retitled 691.10 from arc-fault mitigation to fire mitigation. A rooftop commercial array is not a 691 job. Work that clears the threshold needs engineering stamps.
Article 710 covers stand-alone systems – off-grid, and systems supplying premises wiring with no utility source. The provision designers actually use: a stand-alone supply may have a capacity less than the calculated load, provided it is at least as large as the largest single utilization equipment load.
Article 712 covers DC microgrids, and here we will be straight rather than guess: we could not verify Article 712 status in the 2023 and 2026 cycles from a source we would stand behind. We can confirm a cross-reference to 712.10 was removed from 480.7(G)(1) in the 2023 NEC, and that at least one 2025 California AHJ plan review checklist still cites 712.10 for power source directories. If a DC microgrid is in scope, open the adopted code your AHJ enforces and confirm the article is in it before citing it – permitting nuances collects more of the category.
Where do Article 250 grounding and code labeling show up?
Grounding and bonding do not live in Article 690. They live in Article 250, and Article 690 points out to them. That is why grounding gets skipped – no solar-specific article title says grounding.
NREL inspection guidance for residential rooftop PV states the requirement as a single inspection line – a properly sized equipment grounding conductor routed with the circuit conductors – citing NEC 2017 690.45, 250.134(B) and 300.3(B) together. Three articles, one line on the drawing. On the plan set that means EGC sizing in the conductor schedule, the grounding electrode conductor and electrode detail called out, and module frame and racking bonding shown with the listed hardware named. Grounding deserves its own walkthrough – see solar grounding and bonding for how Article 250 and Article 690 apply together on the sheet – the point here is which article governs it.
Labeling is the other quiet rejection driver, and it is entirely mechanical. Working from the 2020 NEC: 690.31(D)(2) puts DC circuit identification in white lettering on red at 3/8 inch minimum height, on exposed raceways and enclosures at intervals no greater than 10 feet; 690.53 requires the maximum DC voltage of the PV system; 690.54 requires the point-of-interconnection marking with rated AC output current and nominal AC voltage; 705.10 and 690.56 drive the permanent plaque identifying all power sources; and 706.15(C) drives the ESS disconnect marking. In the 2023 cycle, rapid shutdown marking moved to 690.12(D).
Every one is a label schedule entry, and reviewers check them because they are the easiest thing to check. Building that schedule from the adopted cycle rather than a template is one of the design success factors.
Which NEC cycle does your AHJ actually enforce?
This is the question the article map cannot answer for you, and it decides whether a submittal lands. UL Solutions reports the 2026 NEC was issued by the NFPA Standards Council on August 20, 2025, with an effective date of September 9, 2025. That is the publication clock, not the enforcement clock.
- Oregon Building Codes Division publishes the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code as the 2023 NEC with Oregon amendments, effective October 1, 2023. The amendments matter – the base edition is not the enforced code.
- The District of Columbia Department of Buildings states that the 2017 DC Construction Codes consist of the 2015 ICC model codes, the 2014 National Electrical Code and 2013 ASHRAE 90.1. A submittal there is judged against 2014 language.
- The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has the 2026 NEC adopted without amendment, effective August 17, 2026.
That is a twelve-year spread across three jurisdictions, and not a rounding error – 690.12, 706.1 and 705.12 all read differently across that range. Indiana runs a state-specific electrical code with its own amendments on an NEC base, so a national cheat sheet will not get you there. SolarAPP+ supports NEC 2017, 2020 and 2023, a fair signal of the range it expects.
The consequence for drafting is non-negotiable: never write a bare article number in a submittal note. Write “NEC 2023 705.12(B)(3)(2),” not “NEC 705.12.” When the reviewer is on a different edition than you drew to, the named cycle lets them follow your reasoning instead of assuming an error. It is also why DC plan sets and Texas plan sets get drawn differently even when the array is identical.
FAQ
Which NEC article covers solar panels and which covers batteries?
Article 690 covers the solar photovoltaic system – modules, DC and AC circuits, disconnecting means, rapid shutdown and PV marking. Article 706 covers permanently installed energy storage systems. Article 480 covers stationary standby batteries that are not an ESS under 706. In the 2017 NEC, Article 690 still carried a storage battery part; Article 706 arrived that same cycle and lithium ESS moved into it.
Does NEC 2023 690.12 rapid shutdown apply to ground-mount arrays?
NEC 2023 690.12 is titled rapid shutdown of PV systems on buildings, so a true ground mount that is not on a building falls outside its scope. The 2023 NEC also added an exception for non-enclosed detached structures such as parking shade structures, carports and solar trellises. Confirm how your AHJ classifies the structure before leaving rapid shutdown equipment off the design.
Does NEC Article 706 apply to a battery under 1 kWh?
Under NEC 2023 706.1 the scope is energy storage systems having a capacity greater than 3.6 MJ (1 kWh), so a smaller unit falls outside Article 706 regardless of voltage. Under NEC 2017 706.1 the test was different – permanently installed ESS operating at over 50 volts ac or 60 volts dc – which pulls in a 48-volt, 0.5 kWh battery the current scope excludes. Check which cycle your AHJ enforces first.
How do I find out which NEC cycle my AHJ enforces?
Start with the state agency that adopts the electrical code, then check the local jurisdiction for amendments or a different adoption date. Oregon Building Codes Division, the District of Columbia Department of Buildings and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry each publish their adopted edition and effective date directly. Cities amend on top of the state code, so if two sources disagree, the local electrical division decides.
Do NEC requirements mean my plan set needs a PE stamp?
No. The NEC does not require an engineer stamp on a plan set. Stamp requirements come from the AHJ, state licensing law, the utility, or the structural conditions of the job. Article 691 is the exception: large-scale PV supply stations at 5 MWac and up carry an engineering documentation requirement in the code itself. Otherwise the stamp question is a jurisdiction question, not a code question.
Get a plan set drawn to the cycle your AHJ enforces
Avila Solar Drafting produces outsourced PV plan sets for installers – rooftop, commercial and ground-mount plan sets – drawn against the NEC edition your AHJ actually enforces, with the cycle named on the drawing so the reviewer can follow it. Standard turnaround is 2-3 business days; Fast Roof is 1-2 business days. PV plan set pricing depends on scope; see our solar plan sets page for current pricing. Where the work is sold to a homeowner directly, a separate development and consultancy fee applies (every business is exempt — the fee applies only to homeowners running their own project). Every set is complete, code-compliant and designed to pass first-time review, backed by our guarantee of accurate solar plan sets.
Avila Solar Drafting does not accept projects in APS or SRP territory in Arizona, the cities of Peoria and Phoenix, Los Angeles County (LABD) in California. If your project needs a PE stamp, send the jurisdiction and scope and we will tell you what the submittal needs.
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