Solar for Condo Owners

Solar for condominium unit owners is gaining steady popularity throughout the country, as more and more states are writing legislation to promote clean energy accessibility. If you own a condo unit and want to go solar, there’s two main things you should have in order to make this a reality:

1. Roof Ownership
2. HOA Approval

To install solar on the rooftop of your condominium, you need to be sure you own the section of the roof you wish to install solar on. Without ownership of the roof you have no right to install a system and the project cannot begin, which is why understanding who owns the roof is the first step.

Who Owns My Roof ?

Condominiums will have documentation on who is responsible for the different aspects of maintaining the property and community. These are called Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R’s). When researching if solar is a viable option, be sure to check your CC&R documentation first. If there are not clear cut rules or restrictions on who owns the roof or who is responsible, the next step would be to speak to the HOA or the building management. When doing so, make sure to see documentation to back up the response from the management group. If the roof is a shared space, then speaking with your neighbors and coming to a conclusion on how to equitably use the space is pertinent.

Solar Condo Legislation

Two dozen states have created legislation known as “Solar Access Rights” to ensure accessibility for sourcing clean energy. This legislation overrides HOA’s restricting condo owner’s from installing solar. If you live in one of the states listed below, then the HOA cannot restrict solar installation. However, you must still own the roof in which you intend to put solar on.

Arizona	Louisiana	Oregon
California	Maine	Texas
Colorado	Maryland	Utah
Delaware	Massachusetts	Vermont
Florida	Nevada	Virginia
Hawaii	New Jersey	Washington
Illinois	New Mexico	West Virginia
Indiana	North Carolina	Wisconsin
Iowa

Installing Solar on a Condo Roof

Once you have determined that you are allowed to install solar, you may still need approval from your HOA. Although they cannot ban installation, they still can restrict the placement and design. You must clear your final design with management to ensure the continuation of the installation process. When you have restrictions and limited roof space, the total production of a solar system may not meet all the home's energy needs. This should not deter you from installing solar since you are still offsetting some of your energy consumption and sourcing clean energy. As a reminder, even if your solar system covers your electrical usage during the day, you still pull from the grid in the evening (unless you have a battery backup system). If you would like a design created and installer options with competitive pricing you can sign up through our platform to begin a free process to see how solar can benefit your home.