After approving a 2019 building code that requires all new homes in the state to have rooftop solar panels starting in 2020, the California Energy Commission is now eyeing commercial buildings.
“We are not big fans of increasing the costs of construction, but from a political perspective,” the state’s policy direction was clear, says Bob Raymer, technical director at the California Building Industry Association (CBIA). For the past decade or so, California has been working toward a policy of achieving net zero energy for all buildings. In about six months, the California Energy Commission (CEC) will begin discussions about the 2023 iteration of the building code with a focus on commercial buildings, and solar will be part of those discussions, CEC spokesperson Amber Beck says.