Solar Panels & Renewable Energy vs HOA’s

Since Al Gore’s documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth” hit the world’s consciousness, local governments and citizen groups have become more vocal in demanding alternative renewable energy sources. One highly viable source certainly in parts of the United States is solar power. One state taking a stand for it’s citizens to have the opportunity to do their part is Arizona. In June of 2007, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, ruled in favor of new requirements that would force the public utilities and their customers to get at least 15 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by the year 2025.

The approval means that the Arizona Corporation Commission can demand that these new measures be met by utility companies it regulates. This includes the following pubic utilities Tucson Electric Power and Arizona Public Service Company (APS). Salt River Project (SRP) is controlled by the Arizona state legislature. Utility companies will start investing more in renewable energy sources. Customers will be charged more to participate in the new guidelines imposed. Additional charges to the consumer will be 35 cents per month on their utility bill. One energy expert said that adding this surcharge to the utility bill is the best way to ramp up Arizona’s renewable energy program.

Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano joined the Governors of California, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington in an alignment to create market based programs to make utilities and their customers curb their carbon emissions by 15 percent from 2005 levels. In September, six Green bills took effect after state legislators approve them and Governor Napolitano signed them into law.

[tag]Solar energy[/tag] for residential home just got a boost with the passing of Arizona State Bill SB 1254 passed the House and the Senate in Arizona at the end of September 2007. The new law will make it illegal for a home owners association to stop a home owner from putting solar panels on their property. The bill, was sponsored by Paradise Valley Republican Barbara Leff. She said that HOA’s can put reasonable restrictions on how the solar panels can be arranged on the rooftops as long as it won’t raise the cost of the installation or reduce the panels’ efficiency. The new law is very clear that an association shall not prohibit the installation or use of a solar energy device. An association may however adopt reasonable rules regarding the placement of solar panels if those rules do not prevent the installation, impair the functioning or efficiency of a device or restrict its use or adversely affect the cost or efficiency of the device.

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