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6/20/2012 Page 2 of 4 General City-wide Design Standards for Rooftop Equipment Legislative Code § 63.110(e) provides that all rooftop equipment, including rooftop solar equipment, is subject to the following design standards: The visual impact of rooftop equipment shall be reduced through such means as location, screening, or integration into the roof design. Screening shall be of durable, permanent materials that are compatible with the primary building materials. Exterior mechanical equipment such as ductwork shall not be located on primary building facades. The following guidelines illustrate how the visual impact of rooftop solar energy systems can be reduced while providing access to solar energy. These guidelines support the official design standards adopted under Legislative Code 63.110(e). 1. Permit solar energy access while minimizing visual impact. The City encourages development of solar energy. The Zoning Code’s dimensional and design standards applicable to rooftop solar energy systems provide for reasonable capture of solar energy while minimizing the visual impact of the equipment. 2. Visual impact mitigation that considers the function of the solar installation. Visual impact mitigation should allow rooftop equipment to function within acceptable parameters for the particular type of equipment. Solar energy system visual impact mitigation through changes to its elevation or pitch, integration into the roof design, location on the building, reducing the size of the system, screening or other measures can provide for capture of solar energy within industry standards. Solar installation integrated directly into Limited solar resource due to shading, hip roof, roof design and low slope. High visual impacts can be limited by limiting size of system (single panel)