Sustainable New Construction for Santa Barbara with Solar Power

The World Commission on the Environment and Development defines sustainability as, “a form of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” California continues to be a leader in sustainability. At the end of 2018, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved new regulations for the California Building Energy Efficiency Standard. These new regulations will go into effect in 2020 and include:

Requirements for solar panel installations for new homes:

Under these new requirements, contractors must build homes with solar panels or build a shared solar-powered system for multiple homes being built. This will contribute to the policy’s goal for California to produce 50% of the state’s energy from renewable resources by 2030.

Updates for current ventilation and Indoor Air Quality requirements:

The updates will increase the standards required for efficiency and indoor air quality. The requirements are needed to help filter out the smallest category of potentially harmful particulates. Ventilation systems and energy rating systems requirements will also be updated.

Extending the current regulations to apply to healthcare facilities:

Healthcare facilities will be incorporated into the policy, and ventilation, lighting, added requirements for laboratory fume hoods, and more. Extending the policy will help update building technologies and best practices.