Inglewood's Solar Energy: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles solar energy a little differently. In Inglewood, California, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Panel Permits

Inglewood Municipal Code Section 11-169 sets the technical standards every rooftop solar installation must satisfy before the Building Official issues a permit: State Fire, Plumbing, Electrical and Public Utilities Commission safety compliance, accredited listing-agency certification for water-heating systems, and a mandatory call to the regional underground-utility notification center before any ground rod is installed.

Key details: Water-heating systems: Need accredited listing-agency certification. Electricity-producing systems: Must meet CA Electrical Code, UL standards. Excavation notice: Required before installing any ground rod. System size cap: 10 kW AC or 30 kW thermal. Height limit: Cannot exceed zone's max legal building height.

Installing a water-heating solar system without accredited listing-agency certification, or an electricity-producing system that fails to meet Electrical Code and testing-laboratory standards, is a code violation the Building Official can flag on the single required inspection and refuse to sign off. Skipping the regional notification-center call before setting a ground rod exposes the installer, not the city, to liability for any resulting utility strike or excavation damage.

Expedited Solar Permitting

Inglewood's Building Official issues small residential rooftop solar permits through a mandatory expedited checklist track for systems up to 10 kilowatts AC or 30 kilowatts thermal. Applications that meet every checklist item are deemed complete immediately; incomplete ones get a written correction notice, and eligible systems receive only one consolidated Building and Fire Department inspection.

Key details: System size cap: 10 kW AC or 30 kW thermal. Checklist adopted: By September 30, 2015 (§ 11-170). Inspections: Only one combined Building/Fire inspection. Utility interconnection: Separate approval from local utility required. Appeal path: Use-permit denial appealable to Planning Commission.

Skipping items on the checklist does not block a permit outright, but an incomplete application draws a written correction notice from the Building Official listing every deficiency, delaying issuance until it is fixed. Energizing a system before the local utility approves interconnection is a separate step the city's permit does not authorize, and the applicant remains responsible for obtaining that utility sign-off. If the Building Official documents a specific, adverse safety impact, expedited review is revoked and a discretionary use permit is required instead.

HOA Restrictions

California Civil Code Section 714 voids any HOA covenant, deed restriction, or governing document clause in Inglewood that effectively prohibits or restricts a residential solar energy system. Associations can only impose "reasonable restrictions" that do not significantly raise the system's cost or cut its efficiency. An association that willfully violates the statute owes actual damages plus a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars.

Key details: Governing law: Cal. Civil Code § 714, statewide. HOA denial deadline: 45 days or deemed approved. Photovoltaic cost threshold: Over $1,000 counts as "significant". Willful violation penalty: Actual damages plus up to $1,000. Prevailing party: Awarded reasonable attorney's fees.

An association that willfully blocks or unreasonably delays a compliant solar application is liable for the homeowner's actual damages plus a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars, and the losing side in any enforcement suit pays the prevailing party's attorney's fees. Missing the 45-day written-denial deadline does not just risk a penalty; it makes the application deemed approved automatically. A public entity that fails to comply loses eligibility for state-sponsored solar grant or loan funding until it certifies compliance.

The rules around hoa restrictions in Inglewood lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Inglewood's solar energy rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Inglewood is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Inglewood's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.