Solar Energy

The city General Plan's Natural Resources and Sustainability Element discusses green building strategies like solar panels (p. 5-15) and talks about how the city can become more self-reliant by increasing its use of solar power. It says that climatic conditions are favorable to the use of solar energy for small-scale applications and discusses how through good site planning and design many homes can be retrofitted to incorporate solar panels, solar pool heaters, and other solar devices. It talks about how the city can support energy conservation through education and outreach and by exploring home energy retrofit and energy-efficient lighting installation measures (p. 5-17). Under the resource conservation goal (Goal 17) there is an alternative energy sources policy (Policy 17.3) to encourage the use of alternative energy sources such as solar power. There is also an action (17.E) for a solar panel study to determine best practices related to solar panels and one for community buying groups to consider a collaborative effort for the joint purchase of solar panels at reduced costs (Action 17.F).