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Right now, about one in five new homes in California comes with solar panels already installed. In two years, it will be all of them.
On Wednesday, California Energy Commission's vote was unanimous: California will soon become the first state to require solar panels on all new homes and on residential buildings smaller than four stories.
The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, specifies the minimum size of the system would be based on the size of the building and can vary between 2 and 7 kilowatts of output per dwelling.
California mandates solar panels on all new homes by 2020
Also at https://www.nytimes.com
An editorial in the Los Angeles Times expresses support for the measure.
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California Mandates Solar Panels on New Homes Under 4 Stories by 2020
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(Score: 2) by VLM on Saturday May 12 2018, @12:36PM (4 children)
Much like my grandparents were able to buy a clothes washer that lasted thirty years with minimal to no repair, but nothing sold at home depot today will last more than three years, suspect the "contractor grade" solar systems will be about as reliable and long lasting as "contractor grade" garbage disposals.
So the financials that made sense when you could buy solar panels that would work reliably for decades are going to screw Californians when mandatory panels all rapidly fail.
Lets see... how to value engineer a solar panel to fail rapidly... poor to no seals, design the back so drainage is difficult or impossible, very fine wires interconnecting so that they won't last long with corrosion sets in, or even better have a low pressure mount be one of the terminals (dissimilar metals to enhance corrosion). Thin easily breakable glass in a mount that poorly supports it to intentionally make it easy to break. Connectors that intentionally cannot be weatherproofed. Have the wiring support some of the physical weight of the cells or panels so metal fatigue can snap the wiring.
The only purpose of California is to screw over and destroy the middle class, particularly white people, whenever you're dealing with CA you can always predict the outcome by looking at the negatives. Going along with the racial thing, it'll be "too expensive" for everyone but whites and asians so there will be a special race based exception program.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 12 2018, @01:48PM (1 child)
How sure are you of that claim? There is a refrigerator in my kitchen, bought at Home Depot, more than 20 years ago. I think it might be 25 years, but I'm not certain exactly when we bought it. That refrigerator recently stopped refrigerating. We had another old refrigerator at a son's house, which we moved into the kitchen. I still haven't had our fridge checked - maybe it just needs coolant added, maybe a thermostat, maybe it's dead beyond economical repair. But, whatever, it is considerably older than 3 years.
Also, in the washroom is a dandy newfangled energy efficient clothes washer. It's closing in on three years. Do I need to fear that it's going to die this summer?
Or, were you referring to smaller, less expensive items, which people might expect to last a year or five, then die? Window air conditioners, maybe? I don't think I've ever had one that lasted more than five years, before it required some kind of service. Overall average is probably close to three years. But, as often as not, the air conditioner gets serviced, and lasts for another year or two.
Items less expensive than air conditioners aren't generally expected to be heirlooms, for the most part. Please describe some of those items you are referring to, so that we can make an informed agreement, or disagreement.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Saturday May 12 2018, @06:54PM
I had one from LG, it failed in about 4 years. I repaired it (bad electrolytic caps.)
(Score: 3, Touché) by Whoever on Saturday May 12 2018, @04:56PM
While it's possible your depressing prediction may be correct, I think that there is a factor and a supplier you are not considering.
I think this will be a huge boost for Tesla. While Tesla Solar Roofs are expensive in comparison to slapping a few panels onto a roof; the economics make a lot more sense in the context of building a roof for a newly constructed house. What is the warranty on those? Lifetime?
People who buy solar systems now are usually somewhat knowledgeable about what they are buying and expect a 20-year warranty, but if it's just part of buying a new house, people may not realize that 20-year warranties are the norm for solar panels, so allowing low-cost, short lifetime panels to be developed and sold.
Of course, if CA had mandated a specific warranty for the solar systems on new houses, you would be screaming about how this is anti-free market.
Oh, wait, CA law already requires a 10-year warranty for solar systems. So your post is mostly BS. What a surprise.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Sunday May 13 2018, @05:37AM
> how to value engineer a solar panel to fail rapidly
You do realise that the home builder will be on the hook if things fail too quickly, right?
While that won't bother those who build crap before declaring bankruptcy every two years, those who rely on name recognition will demand trouble-free roof materials.