San Francisco May Consider Mandatory Solar Panels

A San Francisco supervisor wants to require new buildings in the city to have solar panels, gardens or both on their roofs.

Supervisor David Chiu plans to introduce a resolution next week that would mandate the green additions, though he tells the San Francisco Chronicle he understands they won't always be feasible.

Some towers going up downtown have limited roof space, and some single-family homes are not well-suited for solar panels.

But Chiu says his plan will work for commercial buildings.

The proposal — called Solar Vision 2020 — would seek to double the amount of solar electricity generated in the city to 50 megawatts in 2020.

It would also make a city program that provides money to defray the cost of solar panel installations permanent. The program is set to expire in 2018.