Solar panels atop a house in Riverside, CA (photo attribution: Jim Sun, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Community Solar Garden or Solar Farm of Clean Energy Collective at Cowdery Meadow Community Solar Gardens (attribution: Susan Sun Nunamaker, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Visitors at a Westmill Solar Cooperative Open Day at Westmill Solar Park (attribution: MrRenewables, Westmill Solar Cooperative, Ben Cavanna, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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Today, California has become the first U.S. state to require solar panels on nearly all new homes and low-rise apartment buildings, starting in 2020. The California Energy Commission voted 5 to 0 to approve the new building standard/requirement that residential buildings up to three stories, including single-family homes and condos, be built with solar panels installations starting in 2020. About 117,000 new single-family homes and 48,000 multi-family units will be built in 2020. The commission endorsed this requirement after building representatives, utilities, and solar manufacturers and advocates voiced their support. It still needs the final approval from California’s Building Standards Commission (which usually adopts the energy panels’s recommendations when updating the state’s building codes). This is California’s latest step to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The technical director for the California Building Industry AssociationRobert Raymer called it a “quantum leap.”This requirement would only be applied to newly constructed homes, although many homeowners are choosing to install rooftop solar panels with help from various rebate programs. The California Energy Commission estimated that adding solar panels would boost construction costs by $9,500 for a single-family home but save homeowners about $19,000 in energy cost and other expenses over 30 year period. The price of solar has dropped dramatically in recent years, therefore, it is a no-brainer that it is cost effective for all homeowners to install solar. The amount of solar power required by the new standards is minimal and not enough to meet all the energy needs of most homes, therefore, most homes would still have to draw some of their power use from the power grid.
The regulations exempts solar panels installations when it is not cost-effective or feasible (such as for homes shrouded in shade). Community solar generation would be an option for such circumstances.
According to SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), California is already the nation’s leader in solar installation, with more than 5 million homes in the state using solar power. California has set the goal of all residential buildings being “zero net energy”, meaning producing as much energy as they consume. California has positioned itself as the leader for clean energy in USA, pushing more electric vehicles on the roads and lower emissions from homes and commercial buildings.
California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister said, “This is a step, a very important step, in a long trajectory that we have been planning for and telling the world….This is not a radical departure. It’s a step in the right direction to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and improve our air, which for many, many decades California has been doing better and better each time.”
Perhaps it is high time for rest of the 49 states to also follow the California lead, for it is both economical and environmentally friendly for homeowners to install solar.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Below is a re-post from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun:
Over some of the social networks, our previous post of Climate March Orlando on April 29, 2017 received much attention and debate/discussion regarding climate change. At one point, I did comment, “I am optimistic, for solar and wind costs have already dropped tremendously in recent years. Solar is more cost effective than conventional fossil fuel in many places. Electric vehicle and solar e-vehicles are coming in. These progress will all help in keeping carbon emission in check or be reduced in our earth’s atmosphere.”
Case in point, I’d like to share a video that demonstrates how Panasonic is building the full-length solar roof for Japan’s Prius Prime plug in hybrid, below:
Panasonic announced an advanced solar car that will debut as the 2017 model Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid in Japan (the Prius Prime) last week. This is going to be the first commercially available, mass produced passenger car to feature an optional solar charging system! Improvements in solar technology efficiency combined with advanced design and technologies to laminate three-dimensional curved glass have allowed a high output (tripling the output of previous solar roof that was only able to ventilate parked cars and auxiliary charging of the standard 12-volt lead acid battery). As the solar panels and electric vehicle become cheaper and more efficient, the potential range boost will likely to occur. The 2017 Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid with about 25 miles of range available on a fully charged battery before it needs gasoline.It gets 54 miles per gallon (combined city-highway EPA estimate) when running on gas. Its EPA estimated electric mileage is 133 mpg-e.
Its solar roof option will initially be offered only in Japan (on Japanese models) until Toyota and Panasonic develop an improvement to the reinforced curved glass panels, which would not pass U.S. rollover standards.
The panel is capable of producing 180 watts of electricity, which is apparently enough to power car accessories (which weren’t specified) and also charge the lithium-ion batteries. According to Toyota, this panel can add up to 3.7 miles of range a day to the car’s battery while parked, and it also helps charge the battery while the car is in motion. It also fits the contours of the Prius roof and doesn’t change the design.
Tesla CEO Elon Musktweeted in November 2016 that he wanted a solar roof option for the Tesla Model 3, Tesla’s affordable long-range electric car that had record pre-sales. Whether it will be Tesla solar car or Toyota solar car make it into the U.S. showroom first, one thing to be certain: our streets will soon be covered with Solar Powered Electric Vehicles….to reduce carbon emissions and to slow down the warming of our planet earth! I gladly await for the electric vehicle that will allow me to have both self-driving and solar powered features long before I reach my 80’s. It is an amazing world we’re living in!
This is a repost from one of our sister publication, Windermere Sun, below:
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Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof single held up by CEO Elon Musk (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof single held up by CEO Elon Musk (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
Tesla Solar Roof (credit: Tesla/Solar City)
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Just weeks after our previous reporting of Tesla/Solar City’s Solar roof, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that their Tesla/Solar City solar roof will be cheaper than the conventional/traditional roofing material. Previously Elon Musk said their solar roof would be cheaper, when taking into consideration of the fact that power would be generated from these solar roofs. But now he believes that the cost of manufacturing and installing their solar roofs will be less than the traditional roofs even before taking into consideration of its power generation. Solar City is the largest solar manufacturer and installer in USA. In November of this year, the share holders approved the merger of Tesla and Solar City. Tesla’s solar roofs are expected to hit the market in Summer of 2017.
It’s a no brainer: Tesla/Solar City solar roofs will cost lower, are stronger and last longer, better insulated, and generate power! So when it’s time for you to replace your existing roof or building your roof for the first time, think about Tesla-Solar City Solar Roof!!!
Talk about revolution! Elon Musk continues to lead the charge of this revolution for our Renewable Future!
Elon’s Mission in Accelerating World’s Transition to Sustainable Energy Via 3 Most Important Paths
Elon’s Integrated Future
New Solar Roof with greater longevity than conventional roof technology
Tesla’s New Solar Roof with greater longevity than conventional roof technology
Tesla’s Powerwall 2
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Instead of the conventional 25-year roof, how would you like to install solar roofs that would effectively cost less, better insulation, last almost 75 years for your house, with more appealing styles to choose from, no less?! Yesterday, the unveiling of Tesla’s new Solar Roof took place at the Desperate Housewives set in LA, CA. The original roof had been replaced by solar roof tops (photos above)! Can you really tell that these are solar roof tops if I didn’t mention it in advance?
Tesla’s New Solar Roof with greater longevity than conventional roof technology
Tesla’s New Solar Roof with greater longevity than conventional roof technology
Our WonderWorker Elon Musk continues to amaze us! When I first heard the news about Tesla may be acquiring Solar City, I suspected that Elon is cooking something in that genius kitchen of his…..behold! We are all totally ecstatic yesterday, upon receiving the news about Tesla’s new Solar Roof and his presentation about the three critical components in accelerating our transition toward the sustainable future: Generation-Storage-Transport—–>Solar Roof-Battery-EV —-> Solar Roof-Tesla’s Powerwall 2-Tesla’s EV. I did not write Tesla’s Solar Roof-Tesla’s Powerwall 2-Tesla’s EV because the vote regarding the acquisition is on November 17, not yet a fait accompli. Personally, I believe it would be a wise step for Solar City to take, to become part of Elon Musk’s Solution To The Energy Equation. There will be a lot of individuals, families, groups, businesses that will want to take part in solving the global warming problem and in reducing CO2 emission. Furthermore, for those who want to drive an EV, one expects that they are also more likely to also want to install solar roof tops and vise versa.
Elon also pointed out that the future is bright for both utilities and local power generation (solar roof tops) because as we transition our energy use into all electric, that will roughly triple the electricity that will be needed.
In Elon’s presentation of a beautiful, affordable, and seamlessly integrated future: EV(electric vehicle)+Powerwall+Solar Roof awaits us, shown below:
For all the solar installers out there, it might be a good idea to devote part of your business to subcontract for Tesla/Solar City, because this integrated solar roof will probably be proprietary in the next few years.
We Look Forward To Our Renewable/Solar Future!
As one of the audience at the unveiling shouted out, “Elon, Save Us!”
Elon, now help us to get the solar self-driving car !
