California became the first state in the country Wednesday to require that new homes have solar panels on their roofs.
The mandate, which takes effect in 2020, won unanimous approval of the California Energy Commission. One commissioner predicted the “green” lifestyle regulation will eventually go national.
“We are the first, we will not be the last,” said commissioner David Hochschild. “This is a landmark vote today.”
Commissioner Andrew McAllister said the roof-top solar mandate isn’t a “radical departure,” but instead “one piece of an overall policy sweep that California has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions” and make new homes more energy efficient.
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The solar rules will apply to new single-family homes and new multi-family housing of three stories or fewer. Under the plan, builders who obtain construction permits issued on Jan. 1, 2020 or later must comply.
Some new houses will be exempt if solar panels are infeasible, such as when a roof is in the shadows of another structure.
The state exempted taller housing structures where there is not enough rooftop space to handle residents’ electric needs. In some instances, the solar requirement can be met through a shared installation within a community.
The new regulations will not apply to remodels.
The requirements are likely to add nearly $9,500 to the construction cost per home as state officials have declared a housing crisis. Home prices have soared in California, and housing stock has failed to keep up with demand.
Energy Commission spokeswoman Amber Beck said the agency estimates that the typical monthly mortgage payment could rise by $40 as a result of a higher home prices, but increased energy efficiency will cut monthly utility bills by about $80.
The commission also adopted new standards that are expected to increase the energy efficiency of attics, walls, insulation and windows.
Testifying Wednesday at the commission hearing, a representative from a coalition of major gas and electricity providers, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, said utility companies approved of the changes, calling them cost effective and technically feasible.
The California Building Industry Association, which represents new homebuilders, has expressed reservations about the new rules, saying it wished the state would have postponed the regulations for two years.
But the group’s technical director Robert Raymer said the BIA is supportive of the effort. He called the proposed changes “a quantum leap in statewide building standards.”
Oh ya, Calif, that state that is spending $40K per mile to paint the roads to combat global warming. The home of the super intelligent.
But, I own silver so mabe I should be happy?
My thought exactly–at about 1 ounce of silver used per solar panel, I expect silver will be AT LEAST $25 an ounce by next June/July. Nice chance for a 40% return in a year or two on a quick investment now……..
Even 3,000 ounces for under $50,000 right now will be pushing $75-100k by mid 2020 almost guaranteed ( unless TPTB find a way to artificially suppress the price of a commodity that is shrinking in supply and mandated by government.) This looks like a no-brainer. At worst the price only goes up around 20 or 25%.
Solar panels made in Red China. How appropriate for Moonbeam’s Marxist Kalifornia. The Chicoms thank you.
The Peoples Republik of Californica.
Their motto: “Where ideas are so good they have to be mandated”.
Next will come more crying about the price of affordable housing, the flight of the middle class, and an increasing call for foreign invaders to take the jobs Cuckafornians “just won’t do”.
What will they mandate for businesses?
The price of housing in California isn’t high enough already?
It’s amazing – it’s almost like there’s a CA state law that prevents anyone with understanding of economics from holding office!
No one screamed, “you’ll price thousands of lower-income folks out of home ownership! “?
I’m glad I left there around 1990. It hasn’t improved.
Well, I suppose California has to do something about its housing situation, but is this really the right idea of what should be done?
It’s all quite simple, really. Just a few years ago, houses were in the toilet. Builders took a break from construction. Houses finally caught up with inflation, buyers come back. Oops, too little housing! House prices going up. Rents go up. Poor people thrown out for higher paying renters. Poor people have at least these 2 choices, move to cheaper housing in the AV or move to tent city.
We have a lot of LA morons up here now.
Lancaster mayor really went all out mandating solar for homes there, this was a few years ago. They have been pushing solar all over the AV the last couple of years. It makes sense. There for a while, we were at the mercy of the crooked E staging those power outages so they could sell energy. If an EMP takes the grid down, you have a backup, otherwise, you will be living like the Flintstones. Do you know why a mandate is necessary? Because of women. They always resist change. My wife resisted cutting the cord. She also resisted when I suggested buying a solar system. You knee-jerk haters keep yammering, you sound just like my wife. https://youtu.be/ymmRnKaTEr8
When I criticized her sister’s hub for buying a Ford Gas-Depletion, she said, well if they can afford it..a couple of years later she said they stopped using it because it cost a Benjie to gas up. Morans.
I have a patent to convert illegal immigrants into electricity – I hope they buy it in Commiefornia.
This is the silliest thing I heard of – It’s going to add a lot of expense – and when you have to re-roof it will be another expense to take them down. And then there’s maintenance – if the system fails – who will service it – who will pay for it? Are they going to have inspectors to make sure your system is working? This is why electricity is a public utility – there are workers to maintain that infrastructure – not homeowners. Much more costly to have all these ‘distributed’ systems.
Well Dutch I am going to guess that the proponents of this have never turned a wrench or had to deal with the drudgery of appliance repair, roofing etc. in their pampered little lives.
Oh yes, they will have inspectors. Treehugger shitheads who will fine you if it isn’t performing to their specs or not being used according to regs or demanding you replace it under threat of fine or imprisonment if a hail storm wipes it out even if you are currently broke. One could surely go on and on.
hail storms? in california??
lol
Oh good, as if Californians needed another reason to be sanctimonious douche bags.
And with that the individuals circle of freedom shrinks a little, yet again. Sure you can still build a house, just put solar panels on it or we’ll kill you.
“Energy Commission spokeswoman Amber Beck said the agency estimates that the typical monthly mortgage payment could rise by $40 as a result of a higher home prices, but increased energy efficiency will cut monthly utility bills by about $80.
The solar panels and the increased energy efficiency are two seperate things – they are conflating them so nobody looks too closely at the numbers. $40/month in CA buys about 210kWh/month. What is the rated output of their ‘average’ system that your $9500 hypothetically buys? I’m guessing it’s 7.5kW, based on their literature – but they aren’t very clear about it. A 7.5kW system should yield (optimistically) roughly 1125kWh per month- but probably is, realistically, going to be far more expensive than $9500 installed.
I also wonder what sort of impact these installations will have on roof longevity.
If you want a look at the mess:
http://docketpublic.energy.ca.gov/PublicDocuments/16-NSHP-01/TN221473_20171012T134427_Final_NSHP_Guidebook_Eleventh_Edition.pdf
You’ll have to remove them to re-roof. So they will also have to have A/C inverters? What happens at night? Do they have a transfer switch to the utility company. This is a fucking nightmare. What will happen is that people will only want to buy ‘older’ homes.
From Technology Review:
In fact, residential solar systems cost between 12.9 and 16.7 cents per kilowatt-hour averaged over their lifetime, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory report last year. That’s more than double the cost of utility-scale solar systems, which range from 4.4 to 6.6 cents. . .
You are an engineer and you never heard of a battery bank?
Funny how you dont see them mandating the homeless tents have solar panels or solar film or some dumb shit. Why is that, I wonder?
1. If you have a tent, you aren’t ‘homeless’.
2. Tents are already operating at max efficiency, they have a tiny tiny carbon footprint due to the paper in the coke can stove.
In Oz, solar is everywhere. I put up a 6kw system. It pays for itself in about 4 years. What I do not use, I sell back to the energy company, but do not get much for it. The system will last around 20 years.
The key is to use all of the electricity the system generates. Set up your hot water to run during the day. Do laundry, run the dishwasher, dry, etc. during the day. That way you squeeze every cent out of it possible.
If the system costs $9500 in the US, you are getting ripped off.
I do not think these things should be mandatory. But in CA it makes sense to buy solar. Where else can you get 25% on your investment?
Everything is far more expensive in California. As such, it isnt as cost effective.
No freedom of choice. Little me’s running the show. California is turning into a plantation state. Another administrative law that needs to be ignored. Remember the blue laws?
Other lesser know CA initiatives coming in 2020;
— everyone must own at least 1 Tesla
— people who speak only Spanish get a 45% discount on …. everything
— all citizens will be required to wear Methane Capture Devices on their asses
— farting in public will carry $1,000 fine on the first occurrence, 60 days jail thereafter
— anyone caught driving, or even owning a Volkswagen, will be summarily executed
I support the Tesla idea.
only the useful idiots will actually give in and adopt one.
then darwinism will be given a boost as the useful idiots will each go out with a bang, their virtue signalling dream shall be complete, and we can finally start moving forward 😉