California passes solar power home requirements

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From 2020, solar energy will be a necessary feature for all new homes built in California. The rule is part of new energy standards issued by the State Building Standards Commission last Wednesday after Mercury News which shows that California is the first state to have such a requirement. The California Energy Commission first approved the plan in May, CNBC reports. Commissioner Kent Sasaki called the move "historically" and said it would be a "light of light for the rest of the country", after Mercury News. Opponents say, however, that the sun will be expensive for homebuyers and make it even more difficult to buy a house in California's already expensive market.

Officials estimate that the new energy norms will add $ 1[ads1]0,000 to the cost of building a home. But, they add, the initial cost will be compensated by lower usage bills. The provisions require all new residential buildings that are up to three floors high, including apartments in the state to be powered by solar energy. Offsite production, such as contracts with utility-owned solar farms, is allowed. And it is an exception for shady areas or areas where solar energy would be more expensive than the prevailing energy levels. Also included in energy standards are requirements for thicker insulation and more energy efficient doors and windows, among other things. (This NASA probe was super close to the sun.)