--- title: "California Now Requires Solar Panels on All New Homes" description: "The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve new standards that require new homes to use solar energy." date: "2018-12-06" modified: "2018-12-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/california-first-state-require-solar-panels-new-homes" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "building" - "california" - "solar energy" --- # California Now Requires Solar Panels on All New Homes ![The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve new standards that require new homes to use solar energy.]() *\Image: Adobe Stock\* ## Going Solar 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, the *Orange County Register* [reports](). 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. ## Paying the Price Critics of the new requirements argued that solar panels and the installation is very expensive, and that not all locations in California are conducive to generating solar power in a cost effective way. The Building Standards Commission is planning to respond to those concerns by allowing homeowners to lease solar panels from the government or signing "power purchase agreements" that could essentially allow them to buy solar energy from other producers, according the *Orange County Register.* ## A Bright Future There are some caveats: home owners won't be required to offset their entire electricity bill with generated solar power. The new requirements also come as much of the state is still reeling from the shock of some of the biggest wildfires ever recorded. While offsetting reliance on fossil fuels is a good thing, the new provisions could make it even more difficult for Californians to rebuild what they have lost in the wildfires this year. But given enough time, economies of scale could bring down the costs associated with generating power at home — and that's not to mention the significant long-term savings of relying less on expensive fossil fuel power. **READ MORE:** [California officially becomes first in nation mandating solar power for new homes]() \[The Orange County Register\] ***More on solar energy: [Tesla Gets Green Light To Create The World’s Largest Virtual Solar Plant In South Australia]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()