Last week, the City Council of Santa Monica, California, green-lit regulations that would require new single-family homes to meet net-zero energy standards. The California Energy Commission still has to approve the ordinance, but if it does, Santa Monica will be the first Californian city—and one of the first cities in the world—to have such a zero-net energy (ZNE) requirement.
Downtown Santa Monica is one of the greenest neighborhoods in the country, and has made a dedicated effort in the last few years to reduce energy use.
“This ordinance makes environmental and economic sense,” said Dean Kubani, Santa Monica’s Chief Sustainability Officer, in a statement. “With the price of utility power continuing to rise, ZNE homeowners will avoid those escalating costs while benefitting from local renewable power for all of their energy needs.”
California has state-wide energy goals aiming for all new residential construction to be net-zero by 2020. Leading the way, Santa Monica has its own goal to be carbon-zero by 2050 as well.
Via: Construction Dive