Sacramento, CA, USA: Million Solar Roofs Bill Passes Senate Committee

[jpak]

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAGO313.htm

The Million Solar Roofs bill, SB 1 (Murray/Levine), passed the Senate Energy Committee this morning with a unanimous vote from all nine Democrats and Republicans present. The bill now moves to the Senate Floor for a final concurrence vote before heading to the governor’s desk.

“Solar power makes so much sense in California given our continued energy shortages and air pollution problems,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate for Environment California. “This bill allows California to take a step forward toward realizing the goal of building a million solar roofs and making California the Saudi Arabia of the sun.”

American's for Solar Power (ASPv) a regulatory advocate for the US solar electric industry and it's legislative arm Pv Manufacturers Alliance (PVMA), applauds the California Senate Energy Committee for its unanimous passage of SB 1 today.

Jan McFarland, ASPv/PVMA Executive Director based in Sacramento, stated that: "Senator Kevin Murray and his staff have worked tirelessly for the past three years to get a comprehensive solar bill through the Legislature. It is to Senator Murray's credit that there was no major opposition to SB 1 today. The unanimous vote in the Senate Energy Committee today required a village. Environment California, Clean Power Campaign, Natural Resources Defense Council, Cal SEIA, PV Now, Vote Solar and many others had their able fingerprints within SB 1."

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[ThomCat]

1. Great! I hope other states follow.

:woohoo:

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Solar power makes sense especially in the valleys where the sun shines

MOST of the year, all day, every day.

[NMDemDist2]

3. except in the foggy winter days when the tule fog brings visibility

down to 2 miles or less

but solar is good for California in so many places, I hope NV, AZ and NM follow suit. I'd be all over putting panels on my roof

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Tule fog and winter rain are why I said most days.

Just like your recent and current states, there is so much potential power here just waiting to be harvested.

[Greyskye]

11. tule fog

I'ved lived in the Sacramento area for almost 30 years. The tule fog used to be a major problem in the fall. But for the past 10 years or more, it just hasn't been that bad! There were times when I was driving home from work in conditions where you counted yourself lucky if you could see 10 feet. But it just doesn't seem to be that bad anymore. Another symptom of global climate change? :shrug:

A friend of mine that I've worked with for almost 20 years did the whole solar panel thing through the local utility district. Within the last year, he paid off the utilities company investment, and he is now putting power into the grid. It's a good thing he's getting a break on power, since the company just laid him off this week. :banghead:

[gulfcoastliberal]

5. Davis, CA has a solar farm right outside town and Village Homes

is a subdivision in Davis that was the first of its kind - a mic of solar and super energy efficient housing surrounded by greenbelts, community gardens, and trees. Man I miss Davis.

Information re: Village Homes

Village Homes
A model solar community proves its worth
by Bill Browning and Kim Hamilton


In 1973 renegade architect/developer Michael Corbett acquired a 70-acre site in Davis, California. His plan was to design a model community that would incorporate aggressive energy conservation with solar energy. Residential clusters of various types would be interspersed with commercial and agricultural uses, while common areas would enhance social interaction.

snip

The narrow, tree-lined streets of Village Homes run east to west and feed out to an adjacent minor arterial street. Houses are oriented north-south along the streets to maximize solar exposure. Carports or garages and small fenced and landscaped courtyards face the street.

snip

An additional unanticipated benefit of the narrower streets is that the air temperature over the street is 10 to 15 degrees lower than surrounding neighborhoods during the hot summer months. This is attributed both to a reduction in the heat-soaking asphalt mass and the mature trees, which shade more of the street area than would occur in a typical development.

snip

Solar energy contributes between 50 percent and 75 percent of heat needs. All of the houses have 60 percent or more of their glazing on the south side. The most basic solar features are calculated overhangs on south facades, which shade the houses in the summer, but allow sun into the homes in the winter. They also have extra insulation in roofs, and concrete slab construction for thermal mass. Almost all the homes have solar hot water systems with collector panels on the roof.

http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC35/Browning.htm

I highly recommend reading this article if you're interested in what true smart planning is. I've been through Village Homes many times and it is a wonderful subdivision.

[tinrobot]

6. I have a roof

Count me in!

[jasmeel]

7. I hope this doesn't go the way of the electric car.

Everyone should see the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car"-it's very enlightening.

[nicknameless]

8. Does this bill actually WATER DOWN current goals?

Excerpt:

The bill would also direct the California Energy Commission to convene a proceeding to determine if and when solar power should become a standard feature of new construction.

Sets a goal that California’s municipal utilities, such as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, adopt their own solar rebate program totaling $800 million. The Public Utilities Commission does not have legal authority over the municipal utilities, so legislation is needed to create a statewide solar rebate program. However, in creating this goal, SB 1 would remove $800 million from the California Solar Initiative originally earmarked for customers in PG&E, Edison and SDG&E territories, covering 80% of the state’s electricity customers.

“By rolling back the California Solar Initiative by $800 million, SB 1 takes an unnecessary and unfortunate step backward,” said Del Chiaro. “The responsibility for achieving the state’s solar vision now rests heavily on the shoulders of Mayor Villaraigosa and the LADWP to make sure Los Angeles builds their share of the million solar roofs goal.”

:shrug:

[jpak]

9. Not really (maybe)

Los Angeles recently resurrected its solar rebate program ($800 million) independently of MSR.

This was done while MSR was in write-up.

All that was done was a reduction of MSR by $800M to compensate for LA's program.

The concern is that LA won't really spend its proposed $800M - if they don't, then it will be a "set back" (that could be remedied by the Assembly or the CA-PUC).

I think that's right....

[nicknameless]

10. I see. Thanks (nt)