The Sustainable Chicago 2015 Action Agenda is meant to reduce energy use, create good-paying jobs in emerging industries and create a place for healthy lifestyles.
In April, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to require solar panels — solar photovoltaic or solar hot water — be installed on all new buildings under 10 stories, effective January 2017. This move is to help the city reach its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2020. The rule builds on a state law that requires all new buildings have at least 15% of the roof as “solar ready.”
This makes the City by the Bay the first major metropolitan area to require solar panels on new buildings. In addition, the city is looking into how builders and homeowners can install “Living Roofs,” which are completely covered in plants and growth. This practice is thought to naturally insulate buildings and help mitigate the “heat island effect” many large cities contend with because of the many buildings and building materials they have that retain the sun’s heat.