Electrical permit history — 820 E University Bl

Electrical Property Screening Report · Commercial property

820 E University Bl

A screening report for electrical planning, assembled from public-record indicators. It is not an official record and every figure in it should be verified against the issuing agency before it is relied on.

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Built 1948 — 1940s commercial stock · 129 permits on record; no permitted panel/service or HVAC work among them

Permanent link: Electrical permit history for 820 E University Bl (aztucsonelectricalsolutions.com/property/124050520/820-e-university-bl-tucson-az-85719) · Public records last checked 2026-09-22

Is it time to upgrade?

• Electrical service & distributionNot in this windowNothing in the permit records we read for this parcel that names this system. Worth knowing: a 2026 fire automatic extinguishing system permit is on file (and 2 more like it) — work like this is often folded into a larger permit without being named, so open that record and check its scope before concluding anything. Nothing permitted on the service or distribution shows in the record we read, which for a building of this era leaves the original switchgear generation in play. Obsolete distribution lines carry breaker and fusible-switch lead times that turn an outage into a shutdown — worth establishing what is actually installed before a new tenant or a new rooftop unit. Separately from replacement: NFPA 70E expects the arc-flash study to be reviewed at least every five years, or after any change to the service.
• Heating, cooling & mechanicalNot in this windowNothing in the permit records we read for this parcel that names this system. Worth knowing: a 2026 fire automatic extinguishing system permit is on file (and 2 more like it) — work like this is often folded into a larger permit without being named, so open that record and check its scope before concluding anything. Packaged rooftop units work harder in Tucson than almost anywhere, so 12 to 15 years is a realistic service life rather than the 15 to 20 the industry quotes. Worth confirming from the equipment nameplate rather than the record. Replacing a rooftop unit is also an electrical question: the new unit's minimum circuit ampacity and its disconnect often differ from the old one.
• Fire alarm & life safetyFinaled permit foundLast permitted this year (2026). Panels and devices age out on their own schedule, and the code moves underneath them — a system that was compliant when installed is not automatically compliant now. TF-FCP-0226-00099 — Fire sprinkler T.I
• RoofNot in this windowNothing in the permit records we read for this parcel that names this system. Roof age matters electrically too: it sets what can be penetrated for new rooftop units, conduit, or solar.

A found permit means a lot. A missing one means less. We read the City of Tucson’s own permit file, not a recent extract of it — back to about 2006, and into the 1990s on properties with that much history. Microfiche before then was never fully digitized. Every record links to the city’s official file. A blank line does not say nothing was done: work gets done without permits all the time. The only way to know what is actually installed is to look at it.

What that usually means electrically

• Era-based check — high priority

  Distribution gear this age is frequently past the point where the manufacturer still supports it. Breakers and fusible switches for obsolete lines can carry long lead times, which turns an outage into a shutdown. The permit record does not confirm this; an on-site inspection is required.

• Era-based check

  NFPA 70E expects arc-flash studies to be reviewed at least every five years, or after any change to the service. Buildings this age often have labeling that no longer matches the installed gear. The permit record does not confirm this; an on-site inspection is required.

• Worth confirming

  A pool or spa was permitted in 2018. Pool equipment brings its own bonding grid, GFCI requirements, and usually a subpanel — and the bonding rules have tightened since, so older installations are worth verifying.

• Worth confirming

  There is an electrical reconnect permit from 1997. The service was disconnected at some point and brought back — usually after a vacancy, a utility disconnect, or work that required the power off. Worth knowing what prompted it.

• Routine

  A trade permit was pulled in 2015. Trade permits cover electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work individually, so some permitted trade work has been done here since.

Solar and energy potential

Roof footprint

≈ 21,472 sq ft (county building-footprint layer, 7 structures)

Usable for solar, planning estimate

≈ 15,000 sq ft (~70% after setbacks, rooftop equipment and access paths)

Array that could fit

on the order of 165 kW — roughly 410 panels (low-tilt ballasted rows, 400 W class modules)

Estimated annual production

≈ 270,000 kWh (PVWatts, Tucson sun, low-tilt south)

Energy-charge offset at TEP commercial rates

$22,000–$35,000 a year (8–13¢/kWh energy + power-supply charges, by season and rate class)

Planning-level arithmetic on the roof area above — not a shading study, a structural review or a design. The offset assumes the building uses the power as it is generated; TEP pays far less (its export rate is about 5¢/kWh) for surplus sent to the grid, so the load profile decides the real value. The 30% federal credit (§48E) still applies to commercial systems placed in service by the end of 2027 — projects that began construction by July 4, 2026 have longer; confirm timing with a tax adviser.

TEP grid capacityThis parcel is not inside any of the 11 areas TEP has mapped as saturated with distributed generation (the nearest, “Aviation Pkwy and Kino Pkwy”, is about 1.4 miles away — TEP’s map set, July 2020). New generation still goes through TEP’s interconnection screens, and a heavy new load still merits a utility capacity check — the maps only mark where that review is most likely to bite.

Get a commercial solar & switchgear analysis

The record behind this read

Parcel

124050520

Year constructed

1948 (assessor record)

Permitting authority

Tucson

Zoning

HC-1

Property type

Neighborhood Shopping Center

Building area

37,508 sq ft

Historic preservation

(City of Tucson)

The building area above comes from the Pima County Assessor’s record, as we read it on 28 Jan 2026. Each other row names its own source.

The most recent permitted work on this parcel was in 2026. That says the parcel was worked on under permit, not what the work covered — a roof, a pool or a changeout tells you nothing about the electrical service. Work done without a permit leaves no trace here at all.

This is an inference from public records — the year a structure was built, how it is classified, and what has been permitted. It is not an inspection, and nothing here confirms what is actually installed at this address. The only way to know is to look in the panel. See an error in this public-record report? Report a correction · About this data.

Utility and upgrade pathElectric service here is Tucson Electric Power (TEP). A service or panel upgrade needs a TEP meter release and has to meet TEP’s service requirements — meter height and location, clearances, and the point of attachment. See TEP new-service requirements and the TEP standards notes.

In the public record: All commercial property · Commercial property in 85719 · Commercial & industrial reports · Homes in 85719 · Permit data by neighborhood

The contractor’s read is a plain-English brief of the record above, written by AI — what it shows across electrical, mechanical and the building itself, what is missing for the era, and what to verify on site.

What the flood note is not. The FEMA map linked above is the National Flood Hazard Layer — the federal insurance map. Local floodplain mapping is not reproduced here; use the authority’s own map, linked above. Nothing here is a floodplain determination, an elevation certificate, or a substitute for one. A parcel can straddle a boundary, and a Letter of Map Amendment can remove a structure the map still covers. For a determination, ask the floodplain administrator for the jurisdiction named above; for a design that has to satisfy one, that is work we do.