---
title: "This U.S. City Now Requires Solar Panels on all New Homes"
description: "South Miami approved legislation that any new residential building project must have a solar energy aspect."
date: "2017-07-21"
modified: "2017-07-21"
authors:
  - name: "Tom Ward"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/tomward"
url: "https://futurism.com/this-u-s-city-now-requires-solar-panels-on-all-new-homes"
categories:
  - "Energy"
  - "Renewable Energy"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Solar Power"
tags:
  - "florida"
  - "miami"
  - "renewables"
  - "solar"
---

# This U.S. City Now Requires Solar Panels on all New Homes

![solar miami renewables florida](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/miami-1198921_1920.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://pixabay.com/en/miami-beach-water-ocean-south-1198921/" target="\_blank"\>Pixabay\</a\>\</em\>*

From mid-September onward, solar panels will be mandatory for new homes in South Miami, Florida. The law — which was passed with a four-to-one majority — states that builders[ must install ](<https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mbawen/south-miami-is-now-the-first-city-in-florida-to-require-solar-panels-on-new-homes>)16 m² (175 ft²) of solar panel per 93 m² (1000 ft²) of sunlit roof area, or one panel with a 2.75 kilowatt capacity per 93 m² (1000 ft²) of living space; the rule also extends to some renovations.

The changes are affirmations that South Miami is marching towards a clean energy future, despite the topic causing friction due to the [bent of its Republican leadership](<https://futurism.com/its-official-trump-just-withdrew-the-u-s-from-the-paris-climate-agreement>), complex deals with fossil fuel-based utilities companies, and [numerous battles](<https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d7y5bq/florida-is-about-to-vote-for-solar-power-control>) between citizens and energy suppliers concerning whether independent sellers can compete with energy suppliers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9oNYDv_-uc

[Phillip Stoddard](<http://www.southmiamifl.gov/directory.aspx?EID=2>), the mayor of the city, [told the Miami Herald](<http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/south-miami/article162582838.html>): "We’re the first city in the United States outside of California to approve this \[...\] It’s not going to save the world by itself, but it’s going to get people thinking about \[solar\].”

However, the law has caused controversy as some parties believe it de-incentivises new buildings. This is because the cost of implementing solar panels will fall on building companies rather than the government covering cost. Eric Montes de Oca, president-elect of the Miami chapter of the Latin Builders Association, further [argued to the Miami Herald](<http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/article161881308.html>) that the measure essentially means that "anyone who does not want to have solar panels, \[is\] not welcome to live in South Miami. This, I would argue, runs counter to our individual freedoms.”

South Miami joins a growing number of U.S. cities which have implemented similar rulings: in January, San Francisco began enforcing a rule that buildings 10 stories or shorter have to have either solar panels or water heaters, and Lancaster in California has [passed measures](<https://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/22/solar-mandate-approved-by-sebastopol-california/>) to ensure that new houses are renewably self-sufficient.