The California solar mandate went into effect on January 1, 2020. It’s a new building code that requires newly built homes to have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system as an electricity source. The new rule applies to both single-family homes and multi-family homes up to three stories high. If you’re buying solar panels to comply with California’s new solar mandate, you’re in the right place!
Buying Solar Panels for the California Solar Mandate — Is it Cost-Effective?
Yes! Buying solar panels will save you money. The California Clean Energy Commission conducted a study on the cost and savings implications for homebuyers in California under these new regulations.
They discovered that — with the solar panel requirement — the cost a new home will increase roughly $8,400. That’s about $40 more per month on a mortgage. However, even the minimum investment in solar panels would average at least $80 a month in energy savings. In other words, solar panels pay for themselves rather quickly, with about $500 in yearly energy savings.
The Sacramento Bee published supporting, but slightly different, statistics for homeowners interested in buying solar panels. They found most homeowners would spend about $9,500 initially, and save $19,000 over the standard thirty-year mortgage period.
If the costs of energy continue to rise, the savings will be even more significant.
Right now, you can save even more on solar panels with Solar Optimum!
Other Benefits of Switching to Solar in California
We can’t discuss the benefits of buying solar panels in California without mentioning the freedom from energy companies like Edison.
California has experienced unprecedented wildfires in recent years, and power companies are tasked with repairing and reconstructing power lines all around the state.
This leads to scheduled power outages and brown-outs for California customers.
Solar panels provide homeowners with the freedom to work, educate, and entertain their families without Edison’s time constraints. But looking beyond our personal lives, solar panels allow us to be more efficient, less reliant on foreign energy sources, and leave a smaller carbon footprint on our precious environment.
The California Solar Mandate Protects the Environment
California’s Clean Energy Commission was created to protect the delicate environment, here in California and around the globe. The California Solar Mandate is meant to advance those goals.
It’s all because solar panels derive clean, pure energy from the sun’s light — something we have plenty of in the “Sunshine State.”
Installing solar panels on your home combats greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the world’s dependence on fossil fuel.
A reduction in greenhouse gases and emissions is also great for public health. If you live in an area of California that’s particularly prone to smog and air quality issues, or if you suffer from asthma or allergies, you’re probably already aware of the value of a clean, emission-free environment.
Unlike solar power, coal and natural gas plants produce pollution that is harmful to human health to generate electricity. By following the California solar mandate and buying solar panels, we’re creating cleaner air and cleaner water for everyone.
Are you ready to save money, reduce your reliance on the grid, and protect the environment? We’re ready to help you do it! Contact us to learn more about buying solar panels to comply with California’s solar mandate.
