Solar Energy

The Urban Design Element of the city's General Plan says that the city encourages the orientation of rooflines and windows to optimize the use of solar power and minimize heat transfer through windows (pp. 9-10). In the Housing Element, Action H.6.1.2 includes encouraging participation in SMUD's photovoltaic (solar), energy efficiency, peak reduction, and other comparable programs (p. 45). Action H.6.1.3 is to continue to enforce state requirements for energy conservation in new residential projects and encourage residential developers to employ additional energy conservation measures for the siting of buildings, landscaping, and solar access through development standards contained in the Zoning Code, Building Code, and Specific Plans as appropriate (p. 45). In the Infrastructure, Services, and Finance Element, the city lists emerging technologies such as solar power as a future service that could receive non-general fund support (p. 4). In the glossary, solar energy is an example provided as something that would qualify as a building retrofit (p. 21). In Appendix A, alternatives listed for the housing industry to meet energy standards include a passive solar approach and active solar water heating (p. 117).