The California Solar Mandate, sometimes called the California solar panel law, requires all new residential buildings up to three stories and new commercial properties to install solar photovoltaic systems.
Are solar panels required on new construction homes?
There are some exceptions to the California Solar Mandate requiring solar panels on all new construction homes. This is because not every home is ideally situated for solar energy production, whether due to size, shading, or other reasons. The exceptions for a new home build include:
California has led the charge toward cleaner energy sources with efforts to make solar more widespread throughout the state. One part of this push is the California Solar Mandates.
What is California's 2020 solar mandate?
California's 2020 Solar Mandate requires all newly built homes to install solar photovoltaic systems. These requirements are based on the floor area of the home and the climate zone. The solar panel systems must be sized to provide for the full annual energy usage of the home.
Will California require solar for new homes?
This update made California's code the first in the nation to require solar for newly built homes! The 2022 updates, which went into effect in January 2023, aim to increase the adoption of new energy-efficient technology, including a large emphasis on expanding solar photovoltaic systems with onsite battery storage.
The size of the equipped system will be determined by the ability to offset 100% of the home's electricity usage. Homes do not need to offset 100% of their home's energy with solar. In fact, homes can still rely on other energy sources that do not need to be offset by solar such as: gas stoves and central heating.
Can a building be exempt from a solar system requirement?
Yes. Two exceptions exist to exempt buildings com-pletely from the PV system requirements. The frst is for scenarios where the effective annual solar access of the roof of a building is restricted to less than 80 contiguous square feet because of shading by objects outside the dwelling.