Santa Monica's Solar Ordinance

Permanent June Gloom for Santa Monica?
Proposed Solar Ordinance could discourage installations

The City of Santa Monica has traditionally been at the forefront of sustainable energy initiatives, as the first city in the country to purchase green power. The City's current goal is to have 25% of its electric power come from renewable energy sources by 2010.

Unfortunately, a proposed ordinance amending Santa Monica Municipal Code 9.04.10.02.220--Solar Energy Design Standards--would blemish that record. While the ordinance seeks to streamline the permitting process for solar energy systems, it also establishes subjective design standards. Specifically, sub-section (e) imposes improper requirements mandating that:

“solar collector panels, their necessary support structure, and conduit, shall be installed in the location that is the least visible from abutting streets directly facing the subject property.”

The Effect: "Form over Function"

By imposing this aesthetic design consideration, the City creates an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle for architects and developers to to jump over, while increasing costs for both the City and the applicant and discouraging the growth of solar energy usage in our community

The Solar Reality:

- Solar panels need not be considered “ugly” components of a building. Today’s architecture can fully incorporate solar panels as part of a building’s design. 

- New technologies exist in which the photovoltaic cells can be contained in walls and windows.

- State law limits City review of solar installation applications to only health and safety compliance

This policy is built out of perceptions rooted in the past, when the City should be looking to the future.

What YOU can do:

• If you live or work in the Santa Monica area, Sign our Action Alert here telling the City Council to strike sub-section (e) from the ordinance. This action alert will be emailed directly to the City Council.
• If you'd prefer, download a letter here for language to use in your own email to council@smgov.net
• Or you can call the City Council at 310-458-8201
• Attend the City Council Meeting when they will vote on this ordinance: Tuesday June 30th at 5:45 PM, City Hall’s Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica 90401.
  (PLEASE NOTE: Contact Meredith Huston at Global Green if you are able to attend the meeting: mhuston@globalgreen.org)

Current Supporters:

• Ameco Solar
• American Institute of Architects--Los Angeles (AIA)
• American Lung Association--California Chapter
• B.NY
• Beyond O2
• Blonde
• Bravo Pizza
• California Solar Energy Industries Association (CalSEIA)
• California Solar Engineering
• City of Santa Monica’s Task Force on the Environment
• Clever
• Coalition for Clean Air
• Earth Bar
• The Green Life
• John Trautmann Architects
• Kafe K
• Natural High Lifestyle
• Papillion
• Pebbles
• PermaCity Solar
• Pugh + Scarpa Architects
• Santa Monica High School Solar Alliance
• Santa Monica Power Yoga
• Seidman Gallery
• Run On Solar
• Sierra Club
• Solar Forward
• Ten Women Gallery
• Urth Caffe