Should solar be required on all new parking lots and buildings?
A recent bill put forward in Rhode Island would require solar panels on all newly constructed buildings and parking lots larger than 16,000 square feet – should this idea be rolled out across the US?
Solar on new parking lots and buildings
Jennifer Boylan’s (D-Barrington and Riverside) bill is called the Solar Neighborhoods Act (RI H5851), and it proposes that the Rhode Island Building Code Commission establish new code requirements for the following:
- Single-family dwellings: New single-family dwellings would be required to have solar systems that produce 80% of estimated average annual electricity use, or 40% if they include battery storage energy efficiency and demand storage measures.
- Multi-family dwellings and large commercial buildings: Multi-family dwellings and large commercial buildings up to 10 stories tall would have to have solar that meets a minimum generating capacity established by the commission that may be based on such factors as roof size, building type, and occupancy.
- Outdoor uncovered parking lots larger than 16,000 square feet: These are roughly the equivalent of around 98 parking spaces. New parking lot construction would have to feature raised solar-panel canopies covering at least 50% of the surface of the parking lot, 5% of the parking spaces would have to feature EV charging stations, and an additional 20% of parking stations would have infrastructure that makes EV charging station upgrades possible in the future.
Boylan, the representative who sponsored the bill, said [via WJAR]:
The time is now, we need to get moving.
Every time we build a new building, whether it’s a school or house or a commercial building, and we don’t put solar panels on it, it’s a lost opportunity.
Consumers will pay less for energy, they’ll be generating it themselves and at the same time the solar panels, putting them on the roof involves putting good jobs in play with the construction and we’ll be reducing our carbon footprint every time we do it. So, it’s like win, win, win.
The Solar Neighborhoods Act was recommended by the House Committee on Corporations to be held for further study, and it seems as though Boylan anticipated that or something similar when she further commented:
Maybe right now we’re not quite there to mandating, but we need to start talking this way.
We need to start thinking this way. And at some point in time, we will get to the point where every new building does have this. So, let’s jumpstart the conversation and think about how we can make that happen sooner.
Electrek’s Take
This is an idea that can and should become law in some shape or form everywhere. If a building or parking lot is constructed from scratch, then solar should be part of the fabric – a given – like the way kitchen cabinets are mandatory in a house. We once bought a new-build house in the UK that came with solar panels, and we were delighted. They made a dent in our electric bill.
Parking lots are ripe for solar canopies. They protect cars from the elements, and they create energy to boot. And I can’t wait for the day that nearly every parking lot has at least a couple of EV chargers.
The Solar Neighborhoods Act should be adopted – not only in Rhode Island but everywhere in the US. California is the only state that has a solar mandate on new construction, and Massachusetts has pending solar mandate legislation. Good for Jennifer Boylan for putting this idea on the table in her state legislature.
Photo: “Solar Panels Covering Parking Lot – Arizona State University, Tempe” by Tony Webster is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Read more: Qcells will make 2.5M solar panels to fill largest US community solar order ever
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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