Why aren't new developments including rooftop solar as a standard selling feature? If it makes sense it should be a no brainer right? Your new $800,000 home comes with a solar installation so you never pay for heating, cooling, power supply.

New homes should be built with

1) EV chargers or 240V outlets in the garage

2) Heat pump water heater

3) Heat pump for HVAC

4) Induction stove

5) Solar panels, better yet, solar roofs

6) Main panel that supports V2X (vehicle to home, to grid)

7) Ethernet cabling throughout, we can make most devices PoE, also enable smart home

This can eliminate $ 1,000+ energy bills, which are now split between gas bills for two cars, natural gas for the water heater, heating, and cooking.

Sounds a lot like actual building requirements in the Netherlands, except 6 and 7, because the city hall hates cars and doesn't care much about IOT

This is definitely nitpicky, but a better translation (imo) for "gemeente" is municipality. You're spot on otherwise. Tbf though, in much of the Randstad, a car is not a requirement for a good life and if the new residential developments are properly equipped with good OV connections, then we should use that space for parking to instead build more homes.

Since moving from the US to (rural) Limburg, I've been shocked how much less I need to drive. My partner still drives to work every day, but even then, they will come home and then walk to the supermarket instead of stopping with the car.

Labor and permitting costs.

Those are already a large part in housing costs, and rooftop solar panels? That's both roofing work and installation of advanced electric equipment. And the market doesn't seem to have that many people who base their buying decisions on whether the house has solar panels installed.

Labor costs are going to stick around until we get humanoid robots to work well. But the permitting situation could sure benefit from a lot of regulation being purged.

I believe this is due in the UK (from 2027) which is quite far north from the equator: new homes need a certain percentage of the roof covered in solar cells.

It won't be enough to be self sufficient but it does offset a bit I guess

My London-based solar panels make us (net) self sufficient across the year.

They produce about 3,800kWh every year - which is bang on the average home electrical consumption.

Even in winter they offset our bills by a decent amount.

You have a big peek in early summer/late spring and a nosedive during winter. Still need generation capacity for winter.