An Act establishing solar neighborhoods

This bill requires new residential and commercial buildings in Massachusetts to install solar energy systems, aiming to make them a standard feature of construction. It mandates that single-family homes generate enough power to cover at least 80% of their average annual electricity needs, while multi-family and commercial buildings must have systems and battery storage sized based on factors like roof area and building type. The legislation also directs state officials to update energy codes and building standards to ensure new structures are designed to easily accommodate solar panels and related equipment. Developers may request exemptions from these requirements if they can demonstrate that installing solar systems is not feasible due to specific site constraints.