Solar Panels On Condo Roof

If a condo owner wants to install solar panels onto a common rooftop garage or carport a solar site survey could be required.

Solar panels on condo roof. If you wanted to place solar panels on the small roof at the back of this house west southwest the hoa could require that you exhaust the usable space on the south southeast roof first. Solar panels are the wave of the future and present an attractive option for homeowners looking to harness the sun as a natural energy source. In a unit owner project one or more unit owners pay to install a solar panel system on the roof of the condominium for their personal use. Updated civil code in california protects the right of condo owners to install solar systems even if they extend over a neighbor s roof.

There are several approaches that condo dwellers can take to getting condominium solar panels approved. First they ll need to gain permission from their condominium board of directors or homeowners association hoa by confirming that solar will not damage their building s roof and if it does it is covered under a warranty and will increase the property s value. Installing solar on a condo roof. They cannot force you to put solar panels on the roof at the back of the house because it is not withing 45 degrees of true south orientation.

Under civil code 714 1 if a condo owner wants to install solar panels on their own rooftop or adjacent garage or carport hoas can no longer prohibit them or require a member vote for approval. You can go solar even if you live in a condo. If you propose a unit owner project you will need to get approval from the condo association and obtain an easement to authorize system installation and maintenance. In states with solar easements property owners can negotiate with their neighbors to protect their right to sunlight and prevent obstructions such as trees or structures on a neighbor s lawn that cast shade on their panels.

Here s what you can do. The cost saving benefits of the usage of solar energy and the reduction of the carbon footprint of a neighborhood are excellent reasons why homeowners consider solar energy. In your request you should include assurances that you will not damage the building s roof or any structure and that any wires you will. We now use a 1 5 kw solar panel system that generates enough power for our 2 bedroom home.

While solar access laws protect your right to install solar on your roof solar easements provide a legal avenue for homeowners to protect their home s access to sunshine. As one would guess the primary area of dispute in an association controlled development is not usually the use of solar panels or whether energy saving devices are permitted or not but rather where those panels may or may not be located on the roof of the home or condo. This will vary based on the building type and ownership type but it s an important requirement. Yes you read that right.

Going solar in a condo. We ve tried it so there s a good chance you can too.