Are Solar Panels Required on All New California Homes?
The controversial 2018 law, which went into effect January 1, might have a loophole.
-
CategoryDesign, Homes + Spaces, Makers + Entrepreneurs, Sustainability
Back in May 2018, the Energy Commission voted to require most new single-family homes, as well as multifamily residential buildings up to three stories, be built with solar panels. But the commission also offered an alternate route to compliance—which many solar companies are labeling an “escape clause”—saying utilities, home developers, solar companies, government agencies or other entities could propose “community solar” programs that would offset the need for rooftop solar on new construction.
Critics of the loophole say that offsite-solar solutions aren’t as efficient and don’t provide the same benefits of rooftop solar, which, when paired with a battery solution to harness power, can help aid California’s residents when the city needs to implement rolling blackouts in the hot summer months.
To read up on the new law and what critics are saying about the work-around, click here.
The Debut of Stratolaunch, the World’s Biggest Plane, Heats Up California’s Race to Space
A Silicon Valley entrepreneur doubles down on wings for satellite hauls to outer space.
A Stanford Engineer Creates a Synthetic Treatment for Lung Disease
The less costly surfactant may be the key to easing respiratory distress in some patients.
Monday Moods: “Second Stories”
Five new songs by California artists you won’t want to re-gift.
