It’s official: any new homes built in California after 2020 will have to be at least partially solar powered.*
The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve new standards that require new homes to offset their electricity needs
Other requirements part of the new “green” building codes include thicker insulation, more efficient doors, and improved ventilation systems.
The new solar power requirement applies to any new buildings that are up to three stories high — including apartments. Homeowners will also have the option to generate or buy electricity for a local community- or utility-owned electricity grid.
The Building Standards Commission will allow homeowners to lease solar panels from the government or sign “power purchase agreements” that could essentially allow them to buy solar energy from other producers, according the Orange County Register.
At Energy Gain UK we hope that this headline is the start of an initiative that will gather pace throughout not just the US but throughout the world. Global climate change needs global action!
In the UK an increasing number of home owners and companies are starting to take action and implementing low carbon technologies such as becoming solar powered. This not only helps them do their bit in helping to protect the environment, it also has a positive impact on their bottom line by helping them make significant savings on their electricity bills.
Companies who install solar panels can currently receive a government incentive in the form of a Feed-in-Tariff. The tariff means you receive a payment from your electricity supplier for every unit of electricity you generate from your solar panels whether you use it or not.
The scheme is guaranteed for 20 years and ensures that payments will rise in line with inflation, as well as being totally tax-free. However, anyone who installs solar panels before the end of March 2019 can still qualify and receive payments for the next 20 years, along with slashing their electricity bills.
If you would like to find out more about how you could reduce your energy bills , implement green technologies and make a positive difference in the fight against climate change give us a call on 0161 330 7739 or fill the form below.
* Source: Syntegra Group