Builders would be required to include solar power and battery storage in commercial and high-rise multifamily projects under a plan that the California Energy Commission is expected to approve on Wednesday.
The plan, which would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, also includes incentives to eliminate natural gas from new buildings and to make it easier to add batteries to existing solar systems in single-family homes. The provisions would supplement requirements that took effect last year, which mandate that new single-family homes and multifamily dwellings up to three stories high include solar power.
The vote on Wednesday is a key step before the California Building Standards Commission considers the requirement as part of its approval of all changes to the state’s building codes in December.
