California could be the first state to use solar energy at home.

For seven years, some Californian home builders have been offering customers to install solar panels on homes as an extra feature, writes The Orange county Register.

Фото: Depositphotos

Now California is on the verge of adopting standards for solar energy, which touch virtually every home in the state. The California Energy Commission plans 9 in May to discuss new rules on solar energy, which will oblige all new homes to install solar panels starting in 2020.

If the authorities approve the new rules, it is expected that the installation of solar batteries on homes will grow rapidly.

According to Bob Reimer, Technical Director California Building Industry Association, only 15-20% of new homes are equipped with solar panels.

The proposed new rules are slightly different from another goal: to require that all new homes have zero energy consumption, that is, homes produce solar energy in amounts sufficient to compensate for the consumption of electricity and natural gas during the year.

This goal seems outdated. Now houses with zero energy consumption still use electricity, for example, at night.

“Zero energy is not enough now. If we pursue this (net-zero energy) policy as a comprehensive policy, then we will invest in our long-term goals,” said Andrew McAllister, one of five officials who voted for the new home building standards.

Electrified houses

In addition to solar panels, the new rules propose to increase battery volumes and increase the use of electricity instead of natural gas.

Highlights:

The new rules on solar energy will be applied to all houses and types of residential premises up to three floors high, which will be built after 1 in January 2020.

The new rule does not apply to those houses that are in the shade of trees, or their roofs are too small to accommodate solar panels.

Solar panels can be small, as homes will not need to push for 100% zero-power status.

New regulations will encourage consumers to use electricity and electrify premises and reduce natural gas consumption.
Officials claim that improved technology makes electric water heaters more cost-effective.

It is noted that the company Meritage homes installed solar panels on 10% of houses, and 1% of them comply with the "zero energy" principle. According to the company's official representative, Meritage homes Over the past seven years, more than 6 thousands of sunny homes have been built, mostly in California. These are 12% of 49 600 homes Meritage homessold during this period.

“New energy standards increase construction costs by $25 to $000,” says vice president Meritage homes for environmental issues S.R. Herro. Of this, solar energy accounts for $14 - $000, and if you count improved insulation, windows, lighting and heating systems, then this is another $16 - $000.

But these costs will result in operating cost savings of $50 to $000 over 60 years.

Why not zero power consumption?

Zero energy is a great goal, but it still does not solve the problem of combating global warming.

Most power companies rely on renewable energy sources and manage during the daytime. But at night, when there is no solar energy, people come home, turn on the lights, TV, air conditioning and consume energy from the network. To cope with the load, gas-generating power plants are included, which increase carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

For this reason, according to McAllister, homes declared with “zero energy consumption” are not, in fact, such.

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