Solar Ready Home Construction
Mandated by State
Reported by Staff
Gov. This week Governor Ritter signed into law a measure that will encourage construction of “solar ready homes” as part of a long-term strategy to make the New Energy Economy more accessible to more people and to create new jobs all across the state.
House Bill 1149, sponsored by Rep. Mike Merrifield and Sen. Morgan Carroll, requires that homebuilders offer prospective homeowners the option of having their home pre-wired for solar and provide homeowners with a list of contractors.
“This new law will let us keep bringing the New Energy Economy home as we lead Colorado forward and transform our economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “It puts a new energy future directly in the hands of Coloradans, giving them easy access to clean energy technologies and saving them money. And putting more clean energy in more homes will sustain or create more good-paying jobs for the Colorado economy.”
In addition to requiring a pre-wire option, HB 1149 also gives homebuyers the ability to incorporate solar-technology purchases into their original mortgage.
“As a state, we should be doing everything we can to make it hassle-free for homeowners to participate in the New Energy Economy,” Rep. Merrifield said. “Solar power helps people move away from traditional, finite energy sources, it helps homeowners save money, and it helps create good jobs, from installers to engineers. Because the sun never stops shining here in Colorado, homes will have higher resale values in the future if they are pre-wired for solar panels.”
“With Gov. Ritter signing House Bill 1149 today, we have taken a great step towards making green technology an option for Colorado’s homebuyers,” Sen. Carroll said. “This bill opens the door for renewable energy at the construction phase, where it is most affordable, will be an asset for consumers, and will create needed jobs in this economy.”
Visit www.colorado.gov/governor or click here for a list of legislative action by Gov. Ritter so far this session.
Filed Under: ARCHIVES • Feature Articles • Policy
Tags: energy efficient homes • Governor Ritter • Governor's Energy Office • new energy economy • solar power
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Comment by cogas on 6 May 2009:
Not to rain on the Governor’s parade, but does this bill not increase the price of a home for homebuyers? Will this little mandate also find its way into the property tax assessment? Seems like there should be a bill to “think before you act”. Also, since we are pre-wiring for this industry, how about running gas pipeline, wiring for a home wind gennie, or geothermal, or….. This is NOT what the legislature should be doing, this is a price point for a homebuilder who thinks he can score on “green-built” technology and should be left for the business, not the government.
Comment by logok on 3 June 2009:
You definitely bring the rain, cogas.
Key words in this article: “…offer prospective homeowners the _option_ of having their home pre-wired for solar and provide homeowners with a list of contractors”
It’s an option. I don;t think it means you _must_ take it.
I believe it’s a good one. If greenfield developments, which add to the statewide total resource consumption, are sprouting up across the state, it’s a step forward to provide an “option” for homeowners to tap into a local _renewable_ resource to offset some of the demand. One that places less demand on existing infrastructure, and possibly enhances the grid during optimum times.
As far as natural gas - If the new home has a furnace, I’m betting it’s prewired for natural gas. The trick is determining where source generation is. Local is best.
Wind? possibly, but with height restrictions in certain areas it’s going to be a bigger hassle to jump through. Solar is readily available and does not typically impede upon your neighbor’s viewshed.
Geothermal? it would be even more progressive to add that as an _option_ however, the technology is not as readily available and easily adaptable as Solar. Therefore the cost to implement could most likely be the major impediment.
Finally, as far as cost is concerned with this “little mandate” as you put it, I’m betting this is a win-win rebate-based situation for all involved. I would guess the builder gets some sort of credit (monetary or otherwise) for implementing this system; the homeowner most likely gets a tax rebate for a portion of the cost, or, ends up with a credit on their utility bill for the power put back into the grid, and the state wins because it’s another successful collaborative effort to reduce consumption/demand and maximize resource (solar) potential.
Comment by cogas on 4 June 2009:
Logok. Your argument is OK, right up to the point where it requires a rebate or credit of some sort. These little devils always end up costing us tax money. For the same reason ethanol cannot compete on a market basis with gasoline or diesel, wind and solar power cannot now compete. No problem developing the technology for down-the-road, and there will be a day when the wind and sun light our lives. I am not anti-sustainable, just a damn yankee with pragmatic blood.