The Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to amend the county’s building code to require developers of single-family home projects in unincorporated areas to prepare their new houses for solar panels and electric vehicles.
Developers will need to install electrical panels of at least 200 amps, with space reserved for solar power and electric vehicle charging circuits; put in wiring for solar panels and EV chargers, and reserve at least 250 square feet on a south-facing roof for solar panels.
Houses without south-facing roofs would be exempt.
Supervisor Dave Roberts said the amendments will add about $300-$400 to the price of a new home “which, when you look at the cost to do this after the fact, it’s really inexpensive, and I think greatly will add to the value of the home.”
The measure passed on a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Bill Horn said he didn’t think the supervisors should tell builders how to make homes more attractive to buyers.
— City News Service