The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed legislation to require new construction that is shorter than 10 floors to install solar panels or solar water heaters on top of new residential and commercial buildings.
Currently, California law requires all new buildings with 10 floors or less to have at least 15% of their rooftops designated as solar ready, in other words, not in the shade. The new San Francisco law makes it the first major US city to mandate solar panels on new construction. A few smaller California communities have already adopted solar mandates.
The new rules go into effect January 1, 2017. One city legislator has introduced a bill that would allow people to add a living roof like a garden instead of installing PVs.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Feb 1, 2022
Biden Administration launches state, local coalition to boost building performance standards
Will focus on energy efficiency and electrification across the buildings sector.
Codes and Standards | Jan 26, 2022
Downtown digital twin to aid Las Vegas in setting policy priorities
Will be used to address energy use, emissions, traffic, parking, noise, and emergency management.
Codes and Standards | Jan 25, 2022
Modeling tool helps compare options for HVAC systems when little known about a building
Compares projected costs and energy usage for all HVAC systems and hot water consumption.
Codes and Standards | Jan 25, 2022
Critics slam proposed revamp of California’s solar net energy metering rate
Could make rooftop solar panels unaffordable for most customers.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Jan 24, 2022
Norshield Products Fortify Critical NYC Infrastructure
New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Jan 24, 2022
Blast Hazard Mitigation: Building Openings for Greater Safety and Security
Codes and Standards | Jan 24, 2022
N.Y. governor calls for ban on natural gas in new buildings
Action follows New York City’s ban.
Codes and Standards | Jan 19, 2022
EPA may expand product lineup that can earn WaterSense label
Would include systems that enhance water quality at the tap.
Codes and Standards | Jan 19, 2022
Canada’s Trudeau seeking building codes changes, net-zero emissions building strategy
Prime minister also wants net-zero electricity grid by 2035.
Codes and Standards | Jan 18, 2022
Greater emphasis on building materials needed to achieve net-zero carbon offices
Engineered wood, straw, and bamboo can be keys to achieving goal.