Solar for Home Builders
We love building with builders. Every new Washington home has to earn energy-code credits to pass — and rooftop solar is one of the biggest single credits on the table. We design it, document it, and install it on your schedule.
Every new home in Washington has to hit a required number of energy credits under the State Energy Code (Section R406.3) before it passes inspection. Solar is one of the most flexible — and largest — ways to get there, and it leaves the finished home less expensive to run and easier to sell. We work alongside builders across Olympia and the South Sound to make that the easy part of the job, not the headache.
How solar earns your energy-code credits
Under the current Washington State Energy Code, the credit target scales with the size of the home:
- Small home (under 1,500 sq ft): 5 credits
- Medium home (1,500–5,000 sq ft): 8 credits
- Large home (over 5,000 sq ft): 9 credits
Rooftop solar lives in Option 6.1 (Renewable Electric Energy) and earns credits scaled to the array's modeled annual production — up to 4.5 credits, frequently the single largest line item in the table. It stacks cleanly on top of the heat-pump and envelope credits you're probably already using, so a modest, right-sized array can close the gap on a tight credit budget without over-building the roof. Production is documented with PVWatts on your plans, exactly the way the code official wants to see it.
What you get working with Mud Bay
- Turnkey and documented. Design, the PVWatts production model and solar-access documentation for plan review, the electrical permit, the install, and the utility interconnection paperwork — all handled.
- One licensed electrical crew on site. We coordinate the roof mount and wiring around framing, roofing and final so solar is never the thing holding up your certificate of occupancy.
- Right-sized arrays. We hit the credits you actually need — no over-paneling a roof to chase numbers that don't move the inspection.
Straight talk on the federal builder credit
You may have used the federal 45L New Energy Efficient Home Credit on past projects. Be aware it's sunsetting: under the 2025 federal budget law it ends for homes acquired after June 30, 2026. We won't build your pro forma around a credit that's going away. The lasting value of solar on a new build is real and local — energy-code compliance, lower owner bills, and resale appeal — and that stands on its own.
Builder questions
How many energy-code credits can solar earn?
Up to 4.5 credits under the current State Energy Code (R406.3, Option 6.1), scaled to the array's modeled annual production — often the largest single credit available.
Do you handle the energy-code documentation?
Yes. We provide the PVWatts production model and solar-access documentation for your plan submittal, and the interconnection paperwork with the utility.
Can you work on our build schedule?
That's the point. We coordinate the roof mount and electrical around framing, roofing and final so solar doesn't delay your certificate of occupancy.
Does the warranty transfer to the homebuyer?
Yes — the equipment manufacturer warranties transfer to the buyer, which is a nice line on the listing.