Posted on 05/10/2018 8:45:07 AM PDT by Zhang Fei
A state board in California has approved a proposal to require solar panels on all new homes beginning in 2020, a measure that would increase the cost of new construction but provide savings on utilities — and help the state meet ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
California, which is routinely a leader in environmental regulatory efforts, would be the first state in the country with such a requirement. Several cities, including San Francisco and South Miami, Fla., have residential solar panel requirements.
The new rule in California would cover all low-rise residential buildings, although houses that are frequently in the shade are exempt. It applies only to new construction.
The California Energy Commission approved the new regulation on Wednesday; the Building Standards Commission still needs to approve it, The Associated Press reports.
"Representatives from construction groups, public utilities and solar manufacturers all spoke in support of the plan, which they've helped the commission develop for years," the AP reports. "No industry groups spoke in opposition."
"But Republican legislative leaders argue Californians can't afford to pay any more for housing in the state's already extremely expensive market," the AP writes.
A report commissioned by the state found that the requirement will have an average upfront cost of $9,365. Utility savings will balance out that cost over the long term, but the higher sales point will still hurt developers, real estate agents and some homebuyers.
California has some of the highest housing costs in the country and has a widespread housing shortage.
Also, because of the way California calculates electric bills, increasing the number of solar panels in the state might hurt other ratepayers by causing their bills to go up.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Basic life gets more expensive thanks to gov reg. Roi on solar for single family homes never pays off.
Better be American-made hardware installed by American citizens, since it’s mandated by an American government.
Making solar panels is extremely polluting, which is why they are made in China.
They pollute way too much to ever be able to be made here, and they cost more to produce than they save in energy.
But hey, who cares about what happens to those Chinese forced laborers as long as we can feel good about going green?
This is good news for the wealthy Californians and other Californians who already own homes. The cost of new housing goes higher. The price of existing housing will go up. As usual it will be the California middle class, what is left of it, who will get screwed.
According to the article, this came from a "state board", not from the legislature. This might be another case of unelected pencil pushers pulling requirements out of thin air.
“This is good news for the wealthy Californians and other Californians who already own homes.”
Until they start requiring it on existing homes when they are sold.
Have a co-worker who paid $20,000 for a system here in the Albuquerque metro area. He gets a base bill every month (basically a meter charge) of about $10 from the electric company. Prior electric bills averaged $150/month throughout the year. So about $1,800/year in electric (rates are rising, too). He'll get a return on that $20,000 in just over 11 years, or less, with rates going up annually.
How could this be legal?
How much money will he have to spend keeping the panels operating? And at what point will they have to be replaced?
Except that the equipment has a working life span of about 8-10 years. And that $20,000 cost is probably financed by the solar company with a 30-year lien on the property at 6% annual interest.
Most solar electric installations have a negative return-on-investment.
Yes, as an electrical user up in CO I have to send money to many of those same kind of people here.
Pisses me off having to do that.
Why the hell can’t I just get my electricity from cheap coal fired plants instead of being forced to subsidize these guys out of my own bank account?
That’s the objective. The Left wants CA all to themselves, with illegals doing the blue collar jobs and a huge underclass that fawns over the elites.
Perhaps they should require that all new homes have solid gold bathroom fixtures. How is this even legal?
California politics is not about "legal"; like all Leftist societies it's about power.
And flakes!
They get very angry when you do not give them a shout out.
I use individual inverters so if one goes bad the rest still work (this has happened) and they are under warranty for 10 years.
When I did it in 2009 I calculated that I would be even in 9 years and my installer agreed (after then current incentives and tax write-offs).
I am in the 'metered' program with Edison which balances what I put into the system (make more than I use) vs what they calculate that I use from them.
So I went from $1500 per year average ($125 per mo) to about $140 a year average paid once a year.
There is still a delivery charge of less that $2 month for most months.
On the whole I am pleased with my investment and feel I am well served by it.
Rentals, managed by a third party and other schemes that seem to be cheaper will probably not work out that way and I think are designed around the premise you will not stay in your home more than a few years.
We are in for the long haul.
“I have (and paid for completely) solar panels with a 25yr guaranteed life.”
‘Frequently in the shade’ I’d plant some of those fast-growing trees FAST.
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