How to Talk to Your HOA or Neighborhood Association About Installing Solar
Want to install solar on your home or condo in Tampa, but unsure of how your HOA will react to this choice? Some HOAs or Neighborhood Associations might express resistance to the installation of solar on your roof or home, but they cannot prevent you from installing solar on your own home, thanks to Florida’s Solar Access Law, which you can find here. The law states that while homeowners’ associations can dictate where and how you install your new solar panels, they cannot keep you from installing a solar power system if you choose.
Talking to your HOA about solar can be as simple as letting them know about your decision, or as complex as citing to them the Solar Access Law and then discussing applicable restrictions.
Either way, it’s a good idea to keep the benefits of solar in mind when approaching your HOA, so that your conversation will go more smoothly. Here are a few points to mention during your talk about installing solar:
1. Solar panels are proven to increase home value.
As we’ve mentioned on our blog before, solar panels can actually raise the overall value of your property, meaning that installing solar panels on your home also increases the valuation of the neighborhood as a whole.
2. Solar panels save money—meaning you can further beautify your home in other ways.
Using solar power instead of or in addition to traditional electric to power your home also saves you money on your electric bill every month, which definitely comes in handy during the hot and muggy Florida summer. But these savings can also help you save to pay for other, more aesthetic improvements to your home and lawn—a solar pro that will certainly make your HOA happy.
3. Solar panels are often functionally invisible to the average passerby.
Depending on where your solar panels are installed (especially if you choose to install them on your rooftop), most passerby will never even see your solar panels, unless they’re looking closely for them. In most cases, a homeowners’ association will be concerned about solar for aesthetic reasons—what if it throws off the symmetry of the neighborhood, visually speaking?—so bringing up this point, that solar can easily be discreet, is usually a good way to go.
Keeping these positive attributes of solar in mind during your conversation with the homeowners’ association will help them see the benefits of adding solar to your neighborhood. And remember, in Florida, it is legally your right to install solar panels on your home. If you need backup, our team at Solar Bear Tampa is here to help you through the whole installation process. Call us today at 813-922-3735!