The City of San Francisco announced today that it will now mandate solar photovoltaic or solar water panels on all new residential and commercial buildings of 10 floors or less. The City’s renewable energy ordinance makes San Francisco the first major city in the country to require solar panels on new construction.

Will San Francisco’s action spur Cal/OSHA to take a renewed look at workplace safety in the solar industry?  Indeed, as solar installations increase rapidly throughout the country, perhaps Federal OSHA will dust off its Green Job Hazards guidance in light of what appears to be a continued movement toward renewable energy sources and the inevitable increase in workplace hazards that occurs when industries rapidly expand.