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Discuss potential ordinances regarding electric vehicle charging and solar ready requirements in new construction.
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BACKGROUND:
The Sustainability Plan includes adopting electric vehicle (EV) charging and solar ready codes as recommended actions. The EV charging and solar ready ordinances align with the Strategic Plan's critical business outcome #7 "Execute sustainability initiatives". EV charging and solar ready codes attempt to remove financial barriers for the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies.
In DFW, vehicles are the primary source of air pollution and a large reason that the region is under non-attainment for ground level ozone. The region had 48 ozone exceedance days in 2022. Ozone has been linked to respiratory problems and premature death at elevated levels. As the population of the DFW region continues to increase, stabilizing or reducing air pollution will be important both from an environmental and health perspective. Replacing traditional gas-powered vehicles with electric models will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially considering the current transportation system's reliance on personal vehicles.
The majority of EV charging takes place at the driver's residence. However, if a resident's home does not have the necessary electricity capacity, the cost of upgrading their system to accommodate charging may discourage the purchase of an electric vehicle. Studies have shown that it is easier and cheaper to install EV charging capacity during construction than during a retrofit. Likewise, if a resident lives in multi-family housing, they may not have access to charging at their residence, which creates a barrier for EV adoption.
On a similar note, it is also cheaper to install solar ready components during new construction compared to retrofitting a building. By proactively making a newly constructed building solar ready, barriers are reduced for solar panel adoption. Citywide, over 800 million ...
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