Property Assessed Clean Energy

It’s no secret that solar power represents a huge, largely untapped source of electricity production in the US, with a recent study by the Department of Energy estimating that rooftop solar alone could satisfy almost 40 percent of US electricity demand.

Now San Francisco is boldly pushing ahead to seize the potential of solar, after the city’s board of supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday that all new buildings will now be required to install solar panels on their roofs.

Lancaster and Sebastopol, both smaller cities in California, also have this requirement, but San Francisco will now be the first major American city to make solar mandatory for new residential and commercial constructions.

“By increasing our use of solar power, San Francisco is once again leading the nation in the fight against climate change and the reduction of our reliance on fossil fuels,” said supervisor Scott Wiener, who proposed the legislation.

“Activating under-utilised roof space is a smart and efficient way to promote the use of solar energy and improve our environment. We need to continue to pursue aggressive renewable energy policies to ensure a sustainable future for our city and our region,” he added.