But in other places like San Bernardino, a far less affluent city east of Los Angeles, where the typical home sells for about $ 529,000, the cost of solar panels and batteries can put a greater burden on home buyers.
“If we go ahead and do things that are modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly, we can usually do it in Los Angeles,” said Marini. “That's not entirely true in the rest of the country. We can't do that in San Bernardino. In the end, the consumer pays the costs. “
The townhouses in Sycamore Square were the last to be developed in San Bernardino before the solar mandate went into effect last year. Glenn Elssmann, a partner on the project who hired Mr. Marini's company as a contractor, said the additional cost of solar requirements made the facility impossible to build. Sycamore Square homes started at $ 340,000 for the four-bedroom, three-bath units and went up to $ 370,000.
Jimmie Joyce, 44, who works in payroll for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, is about to finalize the purchase of a house in Sycamore Square after nearly a year of trying to get closer to Inglewood, a town near Los Angeles Angeles International, to buy the airport where he now lives. His commute to work is expected to increase from around 40 minutes to an hour and a half.
“For my part, I didn't mean to move that far,” said Mr. Joyce. “The way the market is, people are just outbidding to try to get into things.” He said he made an offer of $ 10,000-15,000, which was above the asking price for a home that ended up receiving more than 70 bids, including one that was $ 60,000 above his.
His new home was already expensive for him, he said, and $ 10,000-20,000 more for solar, battery, and other amenities “would make it a lot harder.”