Currently under development, a net-zero village in Santa Clarita Valley will be made up of fuel-efficient properties powered by renewable energy. While individual sustainable homes are powered by their own solar panels and geothermal energy, renewable fuel sources such as large solar installations and wind farms are also being used to power businesses and homes throughout California.  After briefly hitting almost 95% renewable energy last April, the state continues to exceed its green goals by increasingly using renewable and zero carbon sources. According to the California Energy Commission, these currently provide around 60% of the state’s electricity.  There are now a number of incentives for local governments and residents to help increase this figure by becoming more energy efficient. These include the Solar Automated Permit Processing platform, a portal that local governments can use to automatically process permit applications for solar panels.  This can speed up permit approvals while still ensuring panels are installed without violating local ordinances.

Encouraging Local Residents to Become Energy Efficient

A range of local incentive programs are available to help Santa Clarita residents to swap to greener sources of power and reduce the overall consumption of energy in their homes. Initiatives such as Energy Upgrade California and React with Impact encourage residents to adapt their daily routines to save money on fuel bills and conserve energy resources. Other programs offer advice to residents in order to help them become more energy-efficient.  This may be through purchasing new appliances with Energy Star ratings or reducing their carbon footprint by installing solar panels on their home. There are many options for solar panels, and, as every household is unique, EcoWatch notes that energy requirements will differ. An assessment of a home’s specific needs can help buyers to choose the right type of installation to suit their individual property.

Establishing More Homes Powered by Renewable Energy 

At the end of last year, LA County voted to advance ambitious plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by moving a million residents from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy including solar and wind power. Through the Clean Power Alliance, the majority of residents in unincorporated areas already obtain 50% of their energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar. In addition to switching energy sources for established businesses and homes, plans for almost 1,000 properties in new environmentally-friendly housing communities are in progress in the county.  As well as preserving large open spaces and public parks, adjacent developments in Canyon Country will offer residents cutting-edge, environmentally-friendly homes with their own electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels to generate power.

Incentives and recommendations encourage individual homeowners to install solar panels on existing properties, while more developers are embracing sustainability in their design for local housing. Reducing the need for fossil fuels in this way will help to bolster LA County’s aim to move all residents to 100% renewable energy over the next few years.