Just as HOAs can be good (no neighbors with junk cars in their yards or overgrown weeds), they can also be a huge pain. Unfortunately, for some homeowners, this pain included the restriction against installing solar on their homes. But if you’re a homeowner living in California, you have a law on your side that you might not know about – AB 2188.
What is AB 2188: The California Solar Rights Act
According to the California Solar Energy Industries Association, AB 2188 (The California Solar Rights Act) is supposed to make it easier to get residential rooftop solar permits here in the Golden State. The law requires local governments to adopt solar ordinances that will make it easier to get through the permitting process.
AB 2188 does allow HOAs to place “reasonable restrictions” on solar energy installation. However, those restrictions aren’t allowed to significantly increase the cost of the system or its performance.
The legislation also includes the creation of “solar easements.” According to one California law firm, “Solar easements are generally defined as easements that provide for the right to receive sunlight across the real property of others for solar energy systems (as defined by the Act).” This, too, will make it easier for those living in HOAs to benefit from installing solar energy.
Why Is it Important to Homeowners?
AB 2188 is essential to homeowners because it improves the efficiency of solar permitting, which will help lower the cost of these installations and make them more accessible. This, in turn, means homeowners will be able to reduce their electricity bills and take part in generating clean energy. Plus, for homeowners concerned about the environment, this bill will help the state reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals. On top of that, the solar community will see the creation of more jobs thanks to this legislation.
How Does It Work
This law does five things to make it easier for homeowners living in HOAs to install rooftop solar panels on their homes:
- It creates minimum eligibility criteria for expedited permitting.
- Expedites the permitting ordinance.
- Expedites the permitting process.
- Expedites the inspection process.
- Makes changes to the HOA approval process.
What Does It Allow
This new law will allow minor modifications “due to unique climactic, geological, seismological, or topographical conditions.” And it requires cities and counties to allow for electronic signatures on applications, forms, and other documents, making the process easier for homeowners and solar companies.
And for HOAs specifically, it “lowers allowable HOA impact on the cost of a solar hot water system from 20% to 10%, or not more than $1,000, and the efficiency of a system from 20% to 10%. And lowers allowable HOA impact on solar PV systems from $2,000 to $1,000 or a decrease in efficiency from 20% to 10%.” This means HOAs can’t force you to make such expensive changes that you can no longer afford to have it installed on your home.
Hire an Expert Solar Installation Team to Help You With All Your Solar Needs
If you live in an HOA and want solar put on your rooftop, you’ll want to hire an expert team to do it for you. That’s DC Solar Electric.
We can get you a quote and are familiar with working through the HOA approval process. Plus, we have financing options to make it affordable for your family.
As gas prices continue to soar, now is the time to invest in solar. You’ll be glad you did. Plus, you may qualify for a solar investment tax credit. The bottom line is that it’s your decision if you would like to have solar installed on your home, not your HOAs.