California poised to be first state to require solar panels on new homes

State commission approves plan, saying consumer energy savings would outweigh higher building costsCalifornia is set to require solar panels on new homes and low-rise apartment buildings starting in 2020, the first such mandate in the country and the state’s latest step to curb greenhouse gas emissions. “Adoption of these standards represents a quantum leap in statewide building standards,” said Robert Raymer, technical director for the California Building Industry Association.