There may soon be a need to build new homes in Edmonton equipped with solar panels.

It’s one of 15 actions councilors backed Tuesday to improve the city’s climate resilience, which will happen over the next few years.

“We know it’s much more cost-effective and efficient to make those initial investments early on in the project than to have to go back and retrofit them after they’ve already been built,” said Ward Metis Coun. » said Ashley Salvador on Tuesday.

Salvador says the city is behind its own climate change goals for reducing carbon emissions for 2030 and through 2050.

She believes the 15 “priority actions” outlined in Tuesday’s report will help achieve these goals.

Some of the actions include a streamlined permitting process for climate-resilient developments, preserving natural areas in new neighborhoods and creating a climate risk index for all parts of Edmonton.

Dave Turnbull is a house building consultant at Enerspec Energy Consulting and supports the ideas, but questions the need for all houses to be connected to solar panels.

“Some people have the misfortune of living in the shadow of a larger building where solar just won’t work for them, so it’s hard to have a blanket statement,” Turnbull said.

“I think giving people the options and the choice to do it is absolutely fantastic… but making it mandatory and adding that small cost on top of a bunch of other small costs, (is) probably not the best solution . .”

Some of the 15 actions are already underway, municipal staff say the rest can be accomplished without spending more money by the end of 2026.

With files from Jeremy Thompson of CTV News Edmonton