San Francisco Goes Solar: First Major U.S. City to Require Solar on New Construction

In April, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a proposal amending the city’s building codes to require the installation of solar panels on new commercial and residential buildings.[1] This is the first such legislation in a major U.S. city, and it looks like other major cities may be taking notice.  San Francisco’s resolution comes several years after two smaller California cities adopted similar policies—first Lancaster, on the edge of the Mojave desert north of Los Angeles, and several months later Sebastopol, close to Napa and Sonoma wine countries[2]—and has been closely followed by Santa Monica’s vote to implement an even more expansive solar requirement.[3]

Supervisor Wiener’s innovative proposal—the Better Roofs amendment to San Francisco’s Green Building Code §§ 4.201.2 and 5.201.1.2—goes into effect on January 1, 2017 and covers new residential and non-residential buildings ten floors or less.[4]  Larger buildings are exempt. While the city’s building code previously required builders to construct solar-ready zones atop new projects, developers will now be required to actually install solar panels on those rooftops.  The legislation promotes the city’s goal of meeting 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources, even as it allows an exception for buildings with non-solar “living roofs.” These “living roofs” utilize vegetation to provide insulation, create wildlife habitat, absorb pollution, and help manage the drainage of excess storm water.

Weiner hopes that this push to activate underutilized roof space will efficiently promote the use of solar energy and ensure a sustainable future for San Francisco and the surrounding region. While this is a lofty goal, the new legislation’s direct impact may be limited by the relatively small number of new and planned buildings in San Francisco that are under ten stories. Still, the ordinance is expected to add 50,000 solar panels and avert 26.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, and will contribute to San Francisco’s move toward 100% sustainability.  The move to solar is not without indirect economic benefits as well, as consumer investments in renewable resources lessen the need for expensive construction and maintenance of traditional infrastructure systems.  A combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy production has reduced the expected burden on the California grid, allowing for the cancellation of several major infrastructure projects to the tune of $192 million in savings for California taxpayers.[5]  These cost savings, together with the environmental benefits of renewable energy, should prompt even more cities to follow San Francisco, and now Santa Monica, on the quest for alternative energy sources.

[1] San Francisco Ordinance No. 70-16 (Amended in Board April 19, 2016), http://www.sfbos.org/ftp/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/ordinances16/o0071-16.pdf.

[2] Devi Glick, A Tale of Two Solar Cities, Rocky Mountain Institute Outlet, August 27, 2013, http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2013_08_27_a_tale_of_two_solar_cities.

[3] Chris Meehan, Santa Monica Joins San Francisco in Mandating Solar on New Rooftops, Solar Reviews, May 4, 2016, http://www.solarreviews.com/news/santa-monic-mandates-solar-rooftops-040416/.

[4] Ordinance No. 70-16, §§ 4.201.2-601.

[5] Julia Pyper, Californians Just Saved %192 Million Thanks to Efficiency and Rooftop Solar, GreenTech Media, May 31, 2016, http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Californians-Just-Saved-192-Million-Thanks-to-Efficiency-and-Rooftop-Solar.