Giving Compass' Take:

• Emily Skeehan at Shareable reports on Barcelona's plan to fight climate change through implementing a Solar Thermal Ordinance (STO) - requiring solar thermal technology to heat their water. 

• What are other cities in Europe doing to fight climate change? How can the U.S. start to move towards ordinances such as this one?

• Here's why energy storage is crucial to renewable energy measures. 

In 2000, Barcelona became the first European city to implement a Solar Thermal Ordinance (STO), making it compulsory to use solar energy to supply 60 percent of running hot water in all new buildings, renovated buildings, and buildings changing their use, independently of whether they are privately or publicly owned. The STO is part of Barcelona’s long-term strategy, integrated in a political and planning framework for climate change mitigation, to achieve energy self-sufficiency in the long term through the promotion of energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. In addition, Barcelona offers a housing tax incentive for voluntary solar (thermal or photovoltaic) installations, regulated by the Municipal Fiscal Ordinance. The incentive provides a 50 percent tax reduction for four years after installation.

The STO applies to buildings that are intended for residential purposes, health, sports, commercial, industrial, and any other use that entails the presence of dining rooms, kitchens or collective laundries. With the approval of the Barcelona Environmental Ordinance in 2011, the scope was extended to require the use of solar energy (photovoltaics) for electricity generation in the design of new and renovated buildings.

Read the full article about Barcelona's plan to fight climate change by Emily Skeehan at Shareable.