HOW CALIFORNIA’S SOLAR MANDATE COULD CHANGE THE U.S. SOLAR INDUSTRY Just as the sun rises and sets every day, solar power is working its magic on the entire United States. This year, the solar movement in America received an unexpected boost when California announced that it was making a statewide switch to solar. The announcement, which came this summer, made California the first state to require all newly constructed homes to be outfitted with solar installations.

In May 2018, the five members of the California Energy Commission unanimously voted to change the building code to favor solar-powered homes. The new regulations do not go into effect until 2020, but the news has already sparked excitement throughout the solar industry—and speculation over what might come as a result of the changes.

If one thing is certain, it’s that the rest of the U.S. will be paying close attention to the results of the California mandate. If the mandate leads to massive expansion of the solar industry within the state, resulting in increased jobs for California, it’s safe to say that other state governments will probably begin mulling over the idea of passing their own solar mandates. In other words, this single change in a state government code could end up having repercussions that echo across the entire country.

As you may already know, solar is one of the most eco-friendly energy sources in existence. Running a solar installation is significantly better for the planet than using energy sources that are derived from fossil fuels. When every new house in California is a green home, it means that it’s going to make a significant difference in the state’s impact on the environment, which will have positive benefits that extend beyond state lines. When other states see the effects of the mandate, it’s likely that their residents will be all the more eager to try out solar in their own homes.

California has been leading the way in terms of renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions in homes. In fact, the state’s current goal is to make all new homes have zero-net- energy by the year 2020, with a parallel goal for commercial buildings set for As ambitious as these goals are, California is taking action to make them happen. As other Americans see how effectively the Golden State is moving into the future with eco-friendly changes, they’re likely to be all the more inspired to start taking action on their own—and that’s good news for all of us.

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