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openly_gray t1_j7vtaux wrote

Reply to comment by Sammy_Roth in I’m Sammy Roth, an L.A. Times reporter trying to figure out where to put all the solar and wind farms we'll need to fight climate change. Is farmland the answer? AMA! by losangelestimes

In that context let me ask you if a more aggressive promotion of rooftop solar (both residential and business) could be a possible solution

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Sammy_Roth t1_j7vvga8 wrote

The more rooftop solar gets built, definitely, the fewer land-use conflicts and the less destruction of wildlife habitat. But will also caution that every detailed study I've seen still finds a huge need for large solar and wind farms to meet climate goals, even in very optimistic scenarios for rooftop solar. See, for instance: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point.

Will have more discussion of this very question in the next part of Repowering the West. Feel free to follow along here: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/.

Thank you for the question!

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Crabby_Monkey t1_j7w8awm wrote

In your opinion, in places like Arizona would it help to require new home builds to automatically include solar and home batteries.

It seems like that would have several benefits.

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