California Leads in Solar Rooftops

A combination of state and local incentives and building code mandates has helped California far outpace other states in residential rooftop solar permits.

1 minute read

December 17, 2024, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Photovoltaic solar panels on red-tile rooftops in California neighborhood.

Simone / Adobe Stock

An analysis from ResiClub and BatchService reveals that California leads the nation in residential rooftop solar installations, reports Lance Lambert in Fast Company.

“The state has led the nation with renewable energy policies, including generous state and local incentives, tax credits, and mandates such as the 2020 building code requirement for all new California homes to include solar panels,” Lambert explains. Santa Clara County, whose utility offers an additional incentive for solar panels, has the most permits in the state, followed by Los Angeles County and Riverside County. “In 2019, Zillow economists found that homes that year with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than comparable homes without solar panels.”

The state with the next-highest number of permits is Arizona, followed by Texas.

Monday, December 16, 2024 in Fast Company

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.