Four years ago, the Los Angeles Times was skeptical of Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris’ push for solar power and his avowed goal of eliminating the city’s carbon footprint within 10 years. The reporter called it an “unlikely development” in the “straight-laced conservative area.”

The mayor still aims to make good on his pledge and announced last week that the city will rewrite its residential building code to require all newly-constructed single-family homes to have solar panels starting January 1, 2014. Zoning restrictions in the Antelope Valley city of 160,000 would be streamlined and builders would be required to equip model homes with displays of solar hardware.   

Homes on lots starting at 7,000 square feet would be required to have a solar system of 1.0 kilowatt to 1.5 kilowatts. Rural homes of up to 100,000 square feet would have a system of at least 1.5 kilowatts. Builders would have the option of fulfilling their solar requirement by purchasing solar energy credits from other solar-generating developments within the city.

Parris, a Republican, must still overcome resistance from the building industry and win approval of the city council. A vote could come as soon as two weeks. The mayor announced his intention to push for the solar initiative at a celebration of builder KB Home’s construction of its 1,000^th new solar-equipped home in Lancaster.   

Lancaster has been a leader in solar development in California, and was declared the state’s “solar capital” last July by the online publication Rewire. Three of the city’s zip codes ranked among the state’s top five for solar-generating capacity. Although Lancaster ranked third in the state in total capacity behind San Jose and San Diego, its per capita solar capacity of 132 watts per resident was more than double the two other cities combined.

Lancaster, which enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year in the Mojave Desert, launched an innovative partnership with SolarCity in 2010 to offer financing to homeowners, nonprofits and businesses interested in the alternative energy. The program, called Solar Lancaster, now includes city hall, the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, churches, schools and ClearChannel Stadium. It is expected to generate $1.5 million a year in revenue through 2017 and then $800,000 a year for another 20 years.

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:  

Renewable Rules: Lancaster, Calif., Requires All New Homes to Have Solar Power (by Matt Hickman, Mother Nature Network)

Mandatory Solar May Come to One California City (by Chris Clarke, Rewire)

California City Wants to Require Solar on Every New Home (by Herman K. Trabish, GreentechEfficiency)

Lancaster is California's Solar Capital (by Chris Clarke, Rewire)