California New Homes Solar Panel Requirement

California s 2019 building energy efficiency standards officially take effect on january 1 2020.

California new homes solar panel requirement. Under the new requirements builders must take one of two steps. Make individual homes available with solar panels or build a shared solar power system serving a group of homes. By now you might have heard that california passed a law requiring all newly built homes to be equipped with a solar power system. California gives final ok to require solar panels on new houses single and small multi family homes must include solar panels starting in 2020.

Roughly 110 000 new housing units are built every year in california. The california energy commission voted wednesday to require new homes in california to include solar panels. The law requires all new homes to have solar panels. California became the first state in the nation to make solar mandatory for new houses.

The solar pv requirement only applies to new buildings under three stories tall. The california solar mandate is part of an initiative by the california energy. How many new homes will get solar after jan. Recent extreme weather events such as wildfires and.

Builders are getting ready alejandro deleon carries a solar panel as workers from home solar company sunrun install a. Beginning in 2020 newly constructed homes must have solar panels which could be costly for homeowners. Starting in 2020 all new homes in california must come with solar panels. Overall 6 6 of california homes now have solar panels.

But it s starting to look like the mandate wasn t quite a mandate. California became the first state in the nation last year to require solar panels on newly built homes.