California Energy Blog: Solar Sparks Neighbor Wars

We know all about the potential roadblocks to large-scale solar installations-- conservationists, NIMBY's who block transmission lines, etc., but conventional wisdom has always been that it is easier to put up single-home rooftop solar arrays. Now the Los Angeles Times dispells that myth with a look at the increasingly common courtroom fights between Homeowners' Associations and individual property owners who want to go solar.

More and more, HOA's are trying to block solar panels on individual properties, primarily for aesthetic purposes. Homeowners are fighting back, armed witha 1978 law called the Solar Rights Act which seeks to safeguard a property owner's right to install solar.