Philip Stoddard Helps South Miami Transition to a Solar Future
Anyone constructing a new home in South Miami, or in some circumstances renovating an existing one, will be required to install solar panels under a groundbreaking law approved by the City Commission. The measure, which is a first for Florida, follows other Californian communities in mandating solar energy for home construction.
The new law stipulates that for new residential construction, 175 square feet of solar panels or one panel with a 2.75 kilowatt capacity must be installed per 1,000 square feet of living area, whichever is fewer. If a house is built beneath existing trees, the shadow could be a disqualifying factor. 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.
Philip Stoddard and the city have been in the forefront of local environmental activism and the support of expanded solar utilization. Mayor Stoddard was one of several vocal opponents of Amendment 1 in 2016, which would have prevented rivals from entering the regulated electric utility business by adding new protections. After news reports revealed that the amendment was meant to restrict options while being falsely portrayed as benefiting solar energy, voters eventually rejected it.