By 2020, it will always be sunny in California. The California Energy Commission made it mandatory for all the new homes in the state of California to have solar panels fixed on the rooftops. The regulation will be implemented from 2020. California is the first state in the USA to implement such regulation.
The authorities made the move in the wake of alarming levels of greenhouse gases and the threat of climate change. The commission voted 5-0 to implement the solar installation. The panels will be mandatory for family-homes and small apartment buildings of three stories or less.
The move to adopt renewable energy met with mixed reaction from the people of California. While many praised the eco-friendly initiative, some argued that it will unnecessarily elevate the costs of houses which are already skyrocketing.
But the commission took the decision whilst considering future aspects of the implementation. With solar power at new homes, the energy requirement of new homes will be down to 50%. Also, the new buildings which will be built according to new standards, will use 30% less electricity.
According to estimated projections of the commission, the average cost of the new house with solar installation will cost around $9,500. But over a mortgage of 30 years, $19,000 will be the energy savings. The solar installation will add $40 to the mortgage per month but will save monthly $80.
The solar industry and housing firms will, undoubtedly be experiencing a massive boom in the business.
Although some experts do not agree with estimations. UC Berkeley Professor Severin Borenstein wrote a letter to the Commission stating that “the vast majority of energy economists believe that residential rooftop solar is a much more expensive way to move towards renewable energy than larger solar and wind installations… This [requirement] would be a very expensive way to expand renewables and would not be a cost-effective practice that other states and countries could adopt to reduce their own greenhouse gas footprints.”
Nothing could be said what would be the outcome of the green movement. The shift to clean energy would not be a sustainable practice if the outcomes affect public adversely. The solar deal expect might turn shady.