A San Francisco city councilor will propose a new regulation that could soon mandate solar panels on most new construction in the city and on many existing apartment buildings.
David Chiu, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, says he will introduce the resolution to require all new buildings include solar panels, rooftop gardens, or both. The rule would apply to commercial and residential buildings alike, wherever feasible.
Chiu says some skyscrapers with rooftop mechanical systems may not have the space for PVs and that many single-family dwellings would not be suitable even if the owners could afford them. Chiu’s Solar Vision 2020 proposal would curb the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and boost the thriving local solar industry.
It would make permanent an existing city program that gives homeowners, businesses, and nonprofit groups money to defray the cost of installing solar arrays. It would also establish a goal of roughly doubling the amount of solar electricity generated in the city, from 26 megawatts today to 50 megawatts in 2020. The director of the urban development group Housing Action Coalition warned that the program could boost construction costs in a city with a shortage of affordable housing.
(http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Proposed-S-F-law-would-put-a-solar-panel-on-5827997.php)
Related Stories
| Dec 13, 2011
LEED-EB outpaces LEED for new construction
The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED certifications for existing buildings standard is outpacing LEED for new buildings for the first time.
| Dec 13, 2011
Regulators charge pervasive abuse of construction workers in Connecticut
Federal and state regulators say they have uncovered what they call "widespread noncompliance" with minimum wage and overtime laws in Connecticut's construction industry.
| Dec 13, 2011
Philadelphia mayor signs order for project labor agreements
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed an executive order establishing project labor agreements for major public works projects in Philadelphia.
| Dec 13, 2011
Improved code requirements for attic ventilation
The Roof Assembly Ventilation Coalition (RAVC) participated in the development of the code.
| Dec 12, 2011
LEED-EB Outpaces LEED for New Construction
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) LEED certifications for existing buildings standard is outpacing LEED for new buildings for the first time.
| Dec 12, 2011
Philadelphia Mayor Signs Order for Project Labor Agreements
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed an executive order establishing project labor agreements for major public works projects in Philadelphia.
| Dec 12, 2011
Improved Code Requirements for Attic Ventilation
The International Code Council (ICC) recently published the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) that includes improved code requirements for balanced intake and exhaust for ventilated attics.
| Dec 12, 2011
DOE makes 2010 ASHRAE energy standard the reference for state energy codes
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a ruling that establishes the 2010 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE’s) 2010 energy efficiency standard as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes.
| Dec 1, 2011
Chinese cabinet approves regulation to prevent fraud in construction bidding
China’s State Council approved a regulation to standardize bidding processes for construction and other business-related projects in order to prevent fraud and misconduct.
| Dec 1, 2011
More stringent efficiency codes driving growth in green building industry
Thanks partly to upgraded building codes, the building energy efficiency market will soar more than 50% between now and 2017 to $103.5 billion, according to Pike Research.
