“This is massive.” The decision “is a big ‘I told you so’ on how state and local action can overwhelm federal obstruction.”
—Morten Lund on new California energy efficiency building standards.
Energy attorney Morten Lund was quoted in Bloomberg in an article titled “California Becomes First State to Order Solar on New Homes,” in Renewable Energy World in an article titled “California Says New Residential Buildings Must Have Solar,” and in The New Economy in an article titled “California becomes first state to require solar panels on all new homes.” The articles discuss recently adopted California Energy Commission building standards that will require solar panels on most new homes starting in 2020.
The mandate, part of Governor Jerry Brown’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, will boost the solar industry, while critics warn that it will add from $8,000 to $12,000 to the price of a house in an area with already high housing costs.
Lund is not surprised by the new standards but is by the speed with which they were enacted. “Essentially, this could turn residential solar into an appliance, like a water heater,” he said. “There has always been a certain inevitability about that outcome, but this is moving faster than most of us thought likely.”
Read “California Becomes First State to Order Solar on New Homes,” published by Bloomberg, May 9, 2018.
Read “California Says New Residential Buildings Must Have Solar,” published by Renewable Energy World, May 10, 2018.
Read “California becomes first state to require solar panels on all new homes,” published by The New Economy, May 10, 2018.