California to require solar panels on most new homes

[M II A II R II K]

California to require solar panels on most new homes

May 6th, 2018

By Jon Fingas

Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/06/...ost-new-homes/

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The state's Energy Commission is expected to approve new energy standards that would require solar panels on the roofs of nearly all new homes, condos and apartment buildings from 2020 onward. There will be exemptions for homes that either can't fit solar panels or would be blocked by taller buildings or trees, but you'll otherwise have to go green if your property is brand new.

- The plan doesn't require that a home reach net-zero status (where the solar power completely offsets the energy consumed in a year). However, it does provide "compliance credits" for homebuilders who install storage batteries like Tesla's Powerwall, letting them build smaller panel arrays knowing that excess energy will be available to use off-hours. — The new standards are poised to hike construction costs by $25,000 to $30,000 (about half of which is directly due to solar), but the self-produced energy is estimated to save owners $50,000 to $60,000 in operating costs over the solar technology's expected 25-year lifespan.

- Short of a surprise rejection at the Energy Commission's May 9th vote, this will make California the first state to have a solar panel requirement. It's relatively easy to do this in the region given California's abundance of warm, sunny days and high real estate prices -- it's hard to see this happening in the American Midwest, where winter and lower home prices could make solar decidedly less practical. — Critics have complained that this could make California's housing shortage worse by pricing people out of those homes that are available, and note that most people in the state only really draw on non-renewable energy when they come home from work and strain the electrical grid.

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[GlassCity]

Good idea, hope this spreads into other cities as technology lowers in cost.

[jd3189]

Makes a lot of damn sense. It would save so much money in the near future.

[hauntedheadnc]

Maybe it's silly, but I sometimes wonder why states like Arizona and Nevada, which have lots of land just sitting there baking in the sun and too dry to do anything else with, aren't providing the nation's power with solar energy.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Maybe it's silly, but I sometimes wonder why states like Arizona and Nevada, which have lots of land just sitting there baking in the sun and too dry to do anything else with, aren't providing the nation's power with solar energy.

I live in Arizona. The answer is simple: Pinnacle West.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Maybe it's silly, but I sometimes wonder why states like Arizona and Nevada, which have lots of land just sitting there baking in the sun and too dry to do anything else with, aren't providing the nation's power with solar energy.

Because the Sonoran desert is a rare eco-system?

Let's just cut down all the trees in the Amazon and turn it into one giant solar farm. It's basically worthless jungle with a lot of poisonous bugs and stuff.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Because the Sonoran desert is a rare eco-system?

Let's just cut down all the trees in the Amazon and turn it into one giant solar farm. It's basically worthless jungle with a lot of poisonous bugs and stuff.

I sense that you are trying to educate me on the rich biodiversity of an arid landscape which, to the untrained eye, appears to be a sunbaked expanse of lifeless and barren hardpan unfit for habitation. You must understand that I'm looking in from the outside, from a region so overflowing with water and life that you literally have to fight to keep the plants, not to mention the animals, from coming inside. We have trees and vines here that can grow up to a foot a day.

Which is to say, please do go on. I'm eager to learn about the value of the desert.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I sense that you are trying to educate me on the rich biodiversity of an arid landscape which, to the untrained eye, appears to be a sunbaked expanse of lifeless and barren hardpan unfit for habitation. You must understand that I'm looking in from the outside, from a region so overflowing with water and life that you literally have to fight to keep the plants, not to mention the animals, from coming inside. We have trees and vines here that can grow up to a foot a day.

Which is to say, please do go on. I'm eager to learn about the value of the desert.

Take no offense [and I do mean that], but your ignorance on this subject is not my problem.

[Reverberation]

Certain places in the inland areas of the state will benefit greatly from this. They may not be able to stomach the extra cost of solar panels, but it will help with the AC bill in the summer.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by Reverberation

Certain places in the inland areas of the state will benefit greatly from this. They may not be able to stomach the extra cost of solar panels, but it will help with the AC bill in the summer.

Yeah, I actually think in a state like California this makes perfect sense. It will create an additional cost to new homes built in CA, but most of the new homes built are in inland areas away from the coast. Those homes are being purchased by people that have "chosen" to move away from urban centers due to affordability issues and growing families.

These people will gladly pay an extra 10K for solar panels on new construction to not pay 4K/mo in rent or 1 million+ for a cramped mid-century home without solar panels.

[M II A II R II K]

Perhaps the panels could be elevated above the desert, which would provide some shade too.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Perhaps the panels could be elevated above the desert, which would provide some shade too.

That would be cool! Except that would kill off all the plants and animals that have adapted over thousands of years to the sun soaked conditions.

But the opioid homeless people from California [with dock-less bikes] would sure love that!

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I sense that you are trying to educate me on the rich biodiversity of an arid landscape which, to the untrained eye, appears to be a sunbaked expanse of lifeless and barren hardpan unfit for habitation. You must understand that I'm looking in from the outside, from a region so overflowing with water and life that you literally have to fight to keep the plants, not to mention the animals, from coming inside. We have trees and vines here that can grow up to a foot a day.

Which is to say, please do go on. I'm eager to learn about the value of the desert.

Shoot me a PM. I'm at work but can respond in full later with any questions.

[ocman]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Maybe it's silly, but I sometimes wonder why states like Arizona and Nevada, which have lots of land just sitting there baking in the sun and too dry to do anything else with, aren't providing the nation's power with solar energy.

One reason may be because California produces so much solar power that we have to pay Arizona and Nevada to take some of it. There’s a load of complexity about it that CA should best be trying to figure out before this mandate otherwise we may be producing an overload of renewable energy that’ll go to waste.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-f...tricity-solar/

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by ocman

One reason may be because California produces so much solar power that we have to pay Arizona and Nevada to take some of it. There’s a load of complexity about it that CA should best be trying to figure out before this mandate otherwise we may be producing an overload of renewable energy that’ll go to waste.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-f...tricity-solar/

That may be true,[?] but I know from first hand experience that AZ sells all other forms of energy [oil and gas fired plants] back to CA for profit. I've been in a trading room of Salt River Project.

CA might sell solar power energy, but AZ is selling non solar power energy back at higher rates.

[cabasse]

does anyone here have solar on their roof? it's one of the first things i'm going to be looking at doing - i'm rather interested in tesla's solar shingles.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Take no offense [and I do mean that], but your ignorance on this subject is not my problem.

Actually, it was a roundabout and exceedingly polite way of informing you that unless and until I need a dose if attitude from you, you may be content to fold your attitude into corners and sit upon it. I am aware that there is value in the desert.

[Khantilever]

What a terrible idea. Shouldering the cost of renewable energy on new housing, rather than increasing subsidies for everyone who installs these panels, is only going to worsen the housing crisis.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Actually, it was a roundabout and exceedingly polite way of informing you that unless and until I need a dose if attitude from you, you may be content to fold your attitude into corners and sit upon it. I am aware that there is value in the desert.

Your post was in no way "polite". Give me a break. Calling an entire region as a "sun baked", "lifeless" and "barren" region is in no way 'polite', it's ignorant -- but that's ok, you're just uninformed of the region and you're speaking from that standpoint. No worries, brother.

But to then ask someone to please "go on" to educate their own ignorance is not my problem, it's your own duty to do that.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Khantilever

What a terrible idea. Shouldering the cost of renewable energy on new housing, rather than increasing subsidies for everyone who installs these panels, is only going to worsen the housing crisis.

The state already heavily subsidizes retrofitting them and you can get them installed at no upfront cost quite easily (the installer makes money by benefitting from the energy generated more than you do though you do benefit). I would expect some of these creative programs to be applied to new construction.

Incidentally, for a number of years now California has required new construction be "solar ready" mean just slap the panels on the roof (the wiring etc is in place), plug 'em in and you're in business. This is almost just a minor extention of what already exists.