On Jan. 26, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 61 (SB 61), which would make it easier for homeowners who live in homeowner associations and condo associations to install solar on their roofs. Now, the bill moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
“If you own your roof, you should have the right to install solar on it,” said Tristan Rader, Ohio Solar United Neighbors program director. “We believe that people should have that basic freedom to decide their energy source. As thousands of homeowners across the state have found, solar is a safe, affordable and reliable way to power homes. We want to make sure everyone has the same access.”
Currently, Ohio law allows homeowners associations (HOAs) to restrict the ability of homeowners to go solar. This can make going solar more expensive and stop homeowners from going solar at all. SB 61 aims to fix that, doing away with unreasonable restrictions on solar within homeowners associations.
“To date, we have over 200 documented cases of HOA’s denying solar projects for homeowners who want to have access to their own solar,” said Antonio Ranieri, owner and president of Solar is Freedom, a Cincinnati-based solar installer. “These projects would equate to over $5 million in revenue and would justify a minimum of 10 more W2 Ohio employees in our company alone. If Ohio wants to be a leader in renewable energy and green jobs, we need to start by simply allowing all homeowners to have access to choose solar.”
Solar advocates aren’t the only ones backing this bill. The Community Associations Institute (CAI), a national organization that works to better community associations, supports SB 61. Also supporting the bill are Ohio Environmental Council Fund, the Conservative Energy Forum and other non-profit solar installers, trade groups and homeowners.
News item from Solar United Neighbors
Tartan Field Home Owner Association (HOA) has rejected our application saying the panels should not be seen from the road or driveway and now they say it should not be visible to the neighbors as well. That leaves no part of the roof available to install solar panels. Also they’ve added we can only be allowed white color solar panels which not manufactured or unheard of. We will be very happy if the senate takes things in their hand and stops this misuse of power from the HOA it seems other neighbors too have been denied on ridiculous grounds.
Wow! This is great given the numerous benefits solar energy has to offer. I’m not from Ohio but I hope this bill will be passed. I think this will be a great thing not just in the present but also in the long run.
Ohio over the last 10 years has become a pendulous “hot mess” over energy purveyance and regulation. Remember SB6 a few years back the outcry and finally a RICO case against some of the promoters of this bill? Allow farmers to have wind generation and solar PV generation to be installed on their farms with long term lease agreements with energy companies, (but), make the offsets from ‘roadways’ such that one can’t really install solar PV or wind generation on their farms. The concatenated legacy left by Governor John, “lucky charms”, Kasich that stalled solar PV and wind generation in Ohio at least five years. This bill SB61 is a move in the right direction, but I predict it will have to be tested in a courtroom somewhere if passed by the legislature. This ends up spaghetti, when the HOA has the say over the color and texture of buildings in the HOA sphere of influence. Also, the land scaping and types and placement of plants. Some solar PV installs may require removal of nearby trees and tall shrubs for proper sun exposure.