Dive Brief:

• Newly constructed houses in Lancaster, CA, are already required to have solar panels on their roofs. Now, those photovoltaic systems must average 2 watts per square foot, a result of the passage of a new city ordinance, according to Greentech Media. 

• PVs have been required on new homes since 2014, inspiring comparable stipulations elsewhere in the state, including in Sebastopol, Santa Monica and San Francisco. In January, a mandatory rooftop solar proposal was brought before the California State Senate.

• Lancaster has been vying for net-zero since 2011. The latest rule could come into force before the end of the year, following a feasibility study and approval by the California Energy Commission. Builders will likely also be given an option to pay a fee in place of meeting some or all of the solar requirement.

Dive Insight:

The move comes as other cities in California are also forging ahead with net-zero energy plans. In November, city officials in Santa Monica approved an ordinance requiring new single-family homes to be net-zero energy and multifamily buildings to use 10% less energy than required by the 2016 California Energy Code.

Initiatives by individual cities contribute to the state’s plan for all new homes to produce as much or more energy than they consume through the Zero Net Energy Action Plan.

While the West Coast, and California in particular, is a hot spot for solar due to its typically sunny climate, other regions shouldn’t be counted out.

A report earlier this month from real estate website Redfin listed the 10 cities in the Northeastern U.S. with the greatest potential for solar development. Providence, RI, headed the list, followed by the New York cities of Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo, along with Worcester, MA.

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