South Miami set to become first city in Florida to mandate solar panels on new homes

UPDATED July 14, 3 p.m.: South Miami is set to become the first city in Florida to require owners of new homes to install solar panels, joining San Francisco and two small cities in California as the only local jurisdictions in the United States with similar renewable energy building regulations.

A final reading is set for July 18, but there are enough city commission votes for it to pass.

Late Wednesday evening, city commissioners approved the legislation 4-1 on second reading, despite vocal opposition from developer representatives, consumer protection groups and some South Miami property owners. The new law also applies to existing properties whose owners increase the square footage of a home by 75 percent or more.

South Miami Mayor Philip K. Stoddard, who has long advocated for renewable energy solutions to combat sea level rise and global warming, said making property owners install solar panels would help reduce carbon emissions and rising temperatures. “This is about my children and my grandchildren and your children and grandchildren,” Stoddard said. “We are running out of time. It benefits everybody except auto companies and the utilities.”  Click Here to Read More on  The Real Deal

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