Colorado consumers and the economy could greatly benefit if home builders had a more predictable and consistent program in place for the widespread installation of solar systems in new subdivisions.
A typical homeowner can save more than $40,000 over 30 years by reducing energy bills 50 percent with standard rooftop solar system on an efficient new home.
Colorado New Solar Home is a recently launched initiative that would make it easier for builders to include solar options for all home buyers in new subdivisions.
Solar provides an estimated $24.3 million in environmental impact annually, according to COSEIA (Colorado’s Solar Energy Industries Association). That includes saving almost 300 million gallons of water that otherwise would have been consumed as part of the electricity generation process.
COSEIA is working to build support for a Colorado New Solar Home Initiative which would:
- Provide a system in which solar reservations can be secured for a multi-year housing development with consistent and predictable cost parameters.
- Acknowledge and encourage lower energy footprints in new homes through providing benefits.
- Reward new home buyers for a portion of the lifetime energy and environmental savings per home as a result of lower energy usage.
- Encourage use of the Appraisal Institute’s solar valuation tool in every appraisal.
Additionally, expansion of COSEIA’s Solar Friendly Communities program (which provides recognition for local governments that streamline solar permitting) providing a good tool for encouraging more solar development.
Already, more and more all-solar subdivisions are cropping up across Colorado.
We are grateful that our state that works toward these goals. Check out Alaris’ Gratitude Corner and be sure to follow us on Twitter.
