Rhode Island Rep. Jennifer Boylan has drafted a bill that would mandate all new single-family homes to have a solar energy system large enough to meet at least 80% of the home’s estimated annual average electricity use. The mandate would also apply to multifamily and commercial buildings up to 10 stories.
“The time has come to start having conversations about building things with solar from the get-go instead of as an afterthought,” Boylan said during a public hearing on the bill last week before the House Committee on Corporations.
California is the only state that has a solar mandate on new construction. The California Energy Commission approved requirements for solar on new single-family homes and multifamily dwellings up to three stories high as of 2020. This year, additional provisions went into effect requiring solar power and battery storage in many new commercial structures and high-rise residential buildings.
“It’s been incredibly effective,” said Ben Davis, a policy associate with the California Solar and Storage Association. “I live in a neighborhood with a ton of new construction. Every single building has solar on it, which is fantastic to see. The buildings are designed with solar in mind, so there’s a cost savings for permitting, and you don’t need to do any rewiring.”
