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Live in a Home Covered by an HOA? Know your Solar Rights!
The California’s Solar Rights Act was passed in 1978 and it allows Home Owner Associations (HOAs) to impose “reasonable restrictions” on solar systems, however, it prevents HOAs from disallowing solar on homes.
In 2014 the act was amended to define the nature of the restrictions that an HOA can impose. Such restrictions can’t:
- add more than $1,000 to the cost of a system, or
- decrease the efficiency of a system by more than 10%
Additionally, HOAs can’t delay a decision on a solar installation by more than 45 days. More information on the Solar Rights Act can be found here.
SunWork installs solar on home that are covered by an HOA. Most concerns stem from misunderstandings about where solar panels will be placed, what a solar system will look like, etc. Once these issues are explained, HOAs are generally much more willing to speed the approval process for solar.
If you have any questions about solar for your home, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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