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Wondering About HOA Solar Panel Guidelines? Here are the Answers You Are Looking For.

Posted on December 27, 2021 in Solar by kcoughlin

Here in South Florida, many homeowners live in communities governed by Homeowners Associations (HOAs). We often get asked questions about HOA solar panel guidelines, so we put together the facts for you about what you are entitled to if you are interested in adding solar to your home and live in an HOA.

HOA Solar Panel Guidelines

Spoiler alert: you are allowed to add solar energy to your home if you live in an HOA.

Specifically, there is a Florida Statute (163.04) that prohibits any HOA from preventing a resident from adding renewable energy sources to their home. This means that you can go ahead and start shopping for solar roofing if you live in an HOA Community. The key is knowing about your HOA’s requirements.

HOA solar panel guidelines differ from community to community. When you make the decision to add renewable energy to your home, talk to your Homeowners Association in order to make sure you are in compliance with their specific regulations. However, as stated above, by law they cannot decline your request to install solar panels on your property. They may just have certain requirements that you will have to meet – and we will help you do so.

HOAs may have a say in where you place your solar panels on your property. However, what they dictate cannot affect the efficiency of your renewable energy. For example, they cannot mandate that you place your solar panels on a portion of the roof that would lead to poor production, simply because they prefer the way it looks there. There are laws in place to protect you as a homeowner and ensure that you can install solar panels and get the right amount of energy for your home.

While your HOA is able to dictate where on your roof your solar panels are installed, there are laws in place to keep their requests reasonable. Specifically, homeowners can be asked to move the panels, as long as the solar panels face within 45 degrees of due south. Also, the new location must not significantly increase the cost to you. While HOAs do generally dictate the aesthetics of their neighborhood, they are limited when it comes to solar.

If your HOA is giving you push back or making unreasonable requests, you can always speak with an attorney who will go through your rights, and make sure that the HOA is being legally compliant. At the end of the day, laws are in place to protect you and your rights to renewable energy. We all want to save money for ourselves while helping the environment!

Bison Roofing and Solar is well versed in working with homeowners who live in HOAs.

We know HOA solar panel guidelines like the back of our hands, having been in business for over ten years. When we evaluate a property in an HOA, we take this into account, and do our best to complete a proposal that will be ideal for your energy usage and cost savings, and be compatible with your HOAs regulations.

If you have any questions about adding solar roofing to your home and you live in an HOA, we are on hand to help walk you through the process. With over 500 solar roofs installed in South Florida, we have plenty of experience working with Homeowners Associations – chances are we may have already installed a system in your HOA!