SACRAMENTO--California officially became the first state in the nation on Wednesday, Dec. 5, requiring homes built in 2020 or later be solar powered.

To a smattering of applause, the California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to add energy standards approved by another state panel last May to the state building code.

The new energy code will add an estimated $10,000 to the cost of building a single-family home, about $8,400 from adding solar and about $1,500 for making homes more energy-efficient. But those costs will be offset by lower utility bills over the 30-year lifespan of the solar panels.

Commission members expressed concern new energy standards would make it harder for victims of California’s wildfires to rebuild.

But homeowners will have two options that eliminate the upfront costs of adding solar: Leasing the solar panels or signing a “power purchase agreement” that pays for the electricity without buying the panels, said Drew Bohan, executive director of the California Energy Commission.

Two commissioners and several public speakers lauded the new code, expected to dramatically boost the number of rooftop solar panels in the Golden State, as “a historic undertaking” and a model for the nation.

“These provisions really are historic and will be a beacon of light for the rest of the country,” said Kent Sasaki, a structural engineer and one of six commissioners voting for the new energy code. “(It’s) the beginning of substantial improvement in how we produce energy and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.”

Wednesday’s action upholds a May 9 vote by another body, the California Energy Commission, seeking to fulfill a decade-old goal to make the state reliant on cleaner alternative energy. The energy panel’s vote was subject to final approval by the Building Standards Commission.

One solar-industry representative said the net savings from adding solar power will be around $40 a month or nearly $500 a year.

The changes won endorsements both from environmentalists, the solar industry and the California Building Industry Association, which fought to keep costs of solar within reason.

Homebuilders have been preparing for years to meet a proposed requirement that all new homes be “net-zero,” meaning they would produce enough solar power to offset all electricity and natural gas consumed over the course of a year.

Provisions adopted Wednesday relaxed that goal a bit, requiring new homes only offset electricity used, but not natural gas.

In addition to the solar mandate, the new provisions tighten green homebuilding standards, with such requirements as thicker attic and wall insulation, more efficient windows and doors and improved ventilation systems. They also encourage developers to add battery storage and heat-pump water heaters to new homes.

But the heart of the update is the solar power requirement, which applies to all new residential buildings up to three stories high, including apartments. The code allows some exceptions, such as when the structures are in shady areas or when electricity rates already as low or lower than the cost of generating solar power.

The rules also allow for offsite solar production, so developments or apartment buildings can build solar farms or contract with utility-owned solar farms. (Source: The Orange County Register)

Story Date: December 17, 2018