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California is the leading state in clean energy in the U.S. with all its initiatives to promote sustainability.
An article featured in Popular Mechanics, a magazine of popular science and technology, talks about California’s plan to mandate solar panels on new homes and low rise buildings built after 2020. I think this will be a solid step in the long run to reduce emissions and decrease dependency on fossil fuels in California.
I initially thought that such a mandate would spur a lot of opposition due to home/property prices going up. However, the article highlights support from The California Building Industry Association” whom the commission worked with to refine the mandate.
As a Green Tech student, I think this is great news. While, it may not seem as nice to a person who wants buy a house built after 2020 at first glance. However, the savings they will make in the long term can actually make it a better deal for them. The California Energy Commission projects that the solar requirement will generate about $16,000 in energy savings while adding an average of $10,500 in construction costs for a single-family home. Furthermore, the new standards also have requirements regarding indoor air quality and ventilation. When solar panels are not feasible due to geographic location or cost effectiveness, the mandate has some good options such as community shared solar generation or storage batteries.
Thank you for reading, see you in a future post!
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Published on August 6th, 2018
Last updated on April 1st, 2021