Mayor Philip Stoddard Helped South Miami Transition to a Solar Future
The City Commission of South Miami recently approved a groundbreaking law that requires all new homes, and certain home renovations, to install solar panels. This is a first for Florida and follows other Californian communities who have mandated solar energy for home construction. Mayor Philip Stoddard was a vocal opponent of Amendment 1 in 2016, which would have prevented rivals from entering the regulated electric utility business by adding new protections.
Under the new law, new residential construction must install 175 square feet of solar panels or one panel with a 2.75 kilowatt capacity per 1,000 square feet of living area, whichever is fewer. Existing trees could be a disqualifying factor if they cast a shadow on the home. The new regulation also applies to home improvements that involve replacing more than 75% of the structure or enlarging the structure by more than 75%. The new law applies to townhomes and some multi-story single-family residential buildings that are larger than 1,100 square feet. The law does not apply to commercial properties.
Mayor Stoddard’s commitment to local environmental activism and the support of expanded solar utilization helped South Miami transition to a solar future. Thanks to his leadership, South Miami is now one of the few cities in the United States to mandate the use of solar panels for residential construction. This is a great step forward for the city, and one that will surely benefit both the environment and the local economy.