The State of California recently passed a building and construction code mandate that requires all new residential structures built after 2020 to have solar roofs. These could be in the form of water heaters or photovoltaic (PV) units. The mandate has elicited a torrent of responses with commentators praising and criticizing it in equal measure.
While both sides of the divide have valid points, what is important to note is that this is part of a broader push by the state to make all homes in the state energy-efficient by 2030. This mandate is likely another milestone in a long list of past and upcoming legislation that will move the state building sector in this direction.
Meanwhile, we can look at arguments for and against the legislation to get a clear picture of what lies ahead for the solar industry in the State of California. We will start with arguments Arguments For:

Property values will appreciate: Right now, energy-efficient properties are rare. Market rules dictate that anything rare has a high value. This argument, if applied to the just passed mandate, can mean that homes in California may eventually command substantially higher prices, especially from climate-conscious families who would be willing to pay more for a more sustainable way of living.
Solar companies will grow: Construction companies will turn to solar companies like PCS Energy Solar because of the mandate, something that could boost solar company business.  This could, in turn, stimulate fur...