Can anyone tell me why the CA HOA doesn't like solar panels?
Even as California and the federal government encourage solar power, homeowners often have to fight homeowners associations for their right to install the systems.
Mike Bartz, back to camera, and his brother Bradley install solar panels to power a pump for a hot tub in Palos Verdes Estates. (Jay L. Clendenin /os Angeles Times / November 20, 2009) |
When the Spanish Hills Homeowners Assn. said no, Weinberg sued the group. Under the state's Solar Rights Act, he argued, a homeowners association can't unreasonably block solar installations.
Weinberg won, and the Spanish Hills Homeowners Assn. was ordered to not only permit the solar panels but to cover the tens of thousands of dollars that Weinberg had spent on legal fees. Since last fall, when he installed a double row of matte black panels, three other homes in the hilltop neighborhood of luxury estates have added panels.
“We didn't set out to be green activists,” said Weinberg, 39, a real estate attorney. “That's not where we're coming from. We honestly looked at it from a financial standpoint.”
Whether motivated by pocketbook or environmentalism, similar battles between homeowners groups and property owners are cropping up across the state as the installation of solar systems becomes more affordable and utility costs rise.
Homeowners boards insist that they are protecting property values by enforcing rules that govern everything from paint color to how early trash bins can be set out for collection. But residents say their right to invest in alternative energy trumps the sensibilities of neighbors who don't like how the panels look.
Results of the battles have been mixed even as the nation is being urged by the Obama administration to embrace alternative energy.
Santa Clarita homeowner Marty Griffin put solar panels up anyway after his homeowners association rejected his application. The Tesoro Del Valle Homeowners Assn. sued him, and in early November a jury told Griffin the panels should be moved to a more discreet spot on his property.
Solar installer Bradley Bartz earlier this year threatened a Palos Verdes commun- ity group with legal action after it denied three clients permits to install solar panels. He filed a claim against the city of Torrance after it rejected another client's application. In all four cases, Bartz said, he prevailed.
Homeowners' main defense is the Solar Rights Act, adopted by California in 1978 to protect consumers' right to install solar energy technology. The law makes it difficult for homeowners groups to reject solar energy equipment unless it creates a safety hazard or a modification can be made without great cost.
Now, solar advocates are pushing for a federal version of the California law. Energy legislation that moved through the House earlier this year included a provision that would make it illegal for HOA rules, leases or private contracts to prohibit the installation of solar systems.
It's uncertain whether the Senate will keep the language in its version of the bill, said Raymond Walker, a government affairs spokesman for Standard Renewable Energy, a Houston-based solar installer. As debate continues, solar industry advocates are forming a lobbying group to make sure their voices are heard, Walker said.
Industry officials say fewer regulatory hassles would speed the growth of jobs and move the nation closer to energy independence, he said.
“We want to make this into a real industry, and we're trying to make sure the regulatory landscape is clear so this can take off,” he said.
Homeowner and commun- ity groups haven't taken a position on the bill yet. Commun- ity Associations Institute, an education and advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va., said such “green issues” arise regularly in the estimated 300,000 community groups nationwide.
The institute advises striking a balance between conservation and aesthetics, said spokesman Frank Rathbun.
Advocates say those who invest in alternative energy should be applauded instead of punished. They ultimately benefit ratepayers by reducing demand on the state's grid, said Adam Browning of Vote Solar, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that promotes the use of solar energy.
“It's somebody doing their part to reduce peak load,” Browning said. “That's the most expensive electricity utilities have to buy.”
California two years ago launched a $3.3-billion effort to increase the use of solar statewide, offering rebates and tax credits to consumers who install energy systems. Since then, the number of homes and businesses with installed solar has more than doubled, growing from 23,000 in 2006 to 52,700, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.
The cost of small solar systems declined 9% in the last year and larger installations have fallen 13%, the PUC said in an October report. Still, the state is far from being on track to its goal of adding 3,000 megawatts in solar panels by 2016, sufficient to power 600,000 homes.
If you’re someone that knows that they have an interest in solar electricity and in introducing this energy to their own life, then one explanation is likely due to the cost comparison for solar electricity that you have done. When you see the difference of the computed price of solar power compared to what you are paying for electricity now, there’s actually no requirement for any questions, as you can see the enormous difference and see where you are going to be saving here.
There are a few things to take into consideration when you are looking at the estimated cost of solar energy. For one thing, yes there is going to be an initial cost which you are going to have to factor in to the estimated cost of solar energy, but then at the same time, this is going to more than pay itself off within as little as a few months, once you are utilizing the solar energy instead of regular electricity.
This is very important when looking at the estimated cost of solar energy, because there are so many people out there right now who are interested and eager to make the switch, but who are not sure that they want to spend that initial money and are worried that they are not going to be getting their money’s worth. Well as long as you choose the right equipment, and your solar energy system is set up properly, then you are not going to have to worry about this and you will be able to save money immediately after you have it set up.
What You Need
To get started and use all that solar electricity has to offer you, the very first thing that you’re going to need to do is get the equipment that’s required to line up your own solar power system right at home. Naturally the solar energy panels are the key part, because these are going to be what fundamentally are trapping in or harnessing the energy of the sun, in order that it can then be transformed into energy that you may use.
Typically the bigger solar cells you have, the better off you’re going to be, as the more energy you’ll have and that the more things that you’ll be in a position to power. So be sure you think about all this when thinking about the approximate value of solar power.
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Ameren to install solar energy systems (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Alternative Energy News RSS Feed Discuss Ameren to install solar energy systems (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) in the Alternative Energy Investments, News and Money Saving Tips forums; Ameren Corp. said it will install solar energy systems at its downtown St. Louis headquarters and one of its Illinois buildings to help determine the best way to utilize the …
Ameren to install solar energy systems (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Alternative Energy News RSS Feed Discuss Ameren to install solar energy systems (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) in the Alternative Energy Investments, News and Money Saving Tips forums; Ameren Corp. said it will install solar energy systems at its downtown St. Louis headquarters and one of its Illinois buildings to help determine the best way to utilize the …
Are you wondering how to build your own solar energy generator? Do you want to have your own creation start producing electric for you? Whether you want to power your television or want to power your home, you will discover all you need to make it happen. Sit back, read, and take action, and enjoy the benefits of free solar energy with your own solar power generator! As you read this article about how to build your own solar energy system, you will discover more about: * How To Build Your Own Solar Energy Power Generator – What You Need? * How To Build Your Own Solar Power Generator? * Scaling Your Solar Power Generator To Produce More Electric * How To Build Your Own Solar Energy Power Generator – What You Need? If you are wondering how to build your own solar energy power generator, there are a few things you will need. Each part needs to be a certain size for a specific job, so it is important to look at the specifications of parts before purchasing. First it is important to consider what kind of power you want to generate. Cost will be a major factor in your decision. However, whatever your budget, you can generate electric to meet your needs. Here is what you will need: – Solar Power Panels – Rechargeable Batteries (car batteries) – For DC – DC meter, such as a 12v DC meter – For AC – an inverter * How To Build Your Own Solar Power Generator? Once you have the parts, it is fairly easy to know how to build your own solar energy power generator. The solar panels are the parts that actually take the electric and convert into electricity. This electricity then needs a place to be stored. And here is where batteries are essential. The DC meter or inverter then takes this energy and outputs it in a usable fashion for your appliances. So in essence, the solar power panels connect to the batteries. From the batteries, a connection is made to the inverter or the DC meter, and there you go, you have DIY solar energy! * Scaling Your Solar Power Generator To Produce More Electric The solar power generator can be scaled to infinite degrees! It can be as simple as powering a television or go further and power your home! There are a few extra things that you will need to power your entire home with solar energy as its source, but realize that it is best to do that with the aid of a qualified electrician. If you require more power, you simply add more solar power panels or find ones with bigger surface areas and outputs. Also more batteries can store more energy, and the inverter can be purchased at larger sizes. You can easily find all these parts online.
The Pickens Plan is the brainchild of T. Boone Pickens and proposes a move to wind power to generate electricity. Rather than rely on natural gas to create electricity, the Pickens Plan offers an energy crisis solution: wind power. Currently, 22 percent of our electricity is generated by natural gas, according to T. Boone Pickens.
T. Boone Pickens
You might think T. Boone Pickens was running for president with the media attention he has managed to generate. He has recently appeared on CNBC, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, and has tapped into a real energy source for a grassroots movement: social networking.
T. Boone Pickens has generated media and Internet buzz with his Pickens Plan Facebook group, a MySpace page, a Twitter feed, a YouTube channel, and his Ning group.
Who is this T. Boone Pickens that is promoting wind energy with the Pickens Plan? He is the and founder and chairman of BP Capital Management, and may is trying to transfuse the oil in is blood with wind, wind power, that is.
In the Pickens Plan, T. Boone Pickens has sound ideas, including the suggestion that moving to wind power will help reduce our reliance on foreign oil. While the presidential candidates are busy talking about what they will do when they take office, T. Boone Pickens is taking real action by asking citizens to sign on and support the plan.
On Board With Wind Power
In theory, my family has been on-board with Pickens before we heard about Pickens Plan or T. Boone Pickens' new social networking efforts. We are currently researching the feasibility and affordability of adding small wind turbines to our property.
There are many questions that we need to resolve, including, will our home town even allow us to put up wind turbines on the property? What will the neighbors say?
On Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, wind farms have generated lawsuits. The proposed wind farms in Nantucket Sound caused a lawsuit. When seeking more natural energy resources, people need to be concerned about the impact on the environment. Which impacts the environment more: finding alternative power including wind power as put forth by the Pickens Plan, or relying on fossil fuels which are costly and not friendly to the environment? The answers, for some people, are not simple at all.
Issues that may arise, like they did in Barnstable, Massachusetts include concerns about endangered species, higher energy costs and obstructed views. The concept of wind farms is not easy and breezy, it is as controversial as any other source of energy, especially when it is proposed in someone's back yard.
This debate has carried from large wind turbines, to simple clothes lines, in New England towns. One person's energy saver is another person's eye sore.
Sources
Patrick Cassidy “Wind farm foes dealt legal blow,” Cape Cod Online, http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080622/NEWS/806220336/-1/SPECIAL01
Pickens Plan, http://www.pickensplan.com
Pickens Plan Facebook Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pickens-Plan/30622359240
Tags: cali, california, energy, Green Energy, power, solar power