The new law would keep homeowners associations from banning residential solar
The Latest: Updated 6/29/22:
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has signed SB 820 into law! We’re pleased to see another state taking steps to formally recognize homeowners’ freedom to pursue greater energy independence.
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One of the complications we occasionally run into during a solar install is objections from the local homeowners association. HOAs sometimes try to require that homeowners only install solar panels on certain parts of their houses that are less visible from the street, or even stop them from going solar at all.
New legislation in Missouri would reduce these unfortunate complications. Missouri Senate Bill 820 would forbid HOA covenants that ban rooftop solar. The bill was passed by both houses of the state legislature last month and is currently awaiting action by Governor Mike Parson.
Many other states with strong pro-solar legislative climates already have similar laws on the books which protect homeowners’ rights. We’ll update this post if the Missouri bill is signed into law or if there are any other new developments.
Often we find that HOA concerns about rooftop solar are rooted in ideas about outdated, blue-tinted solar panels. Hopefully, as residential solar continues to become more popular and more people see that modern panels are tasteful and attractive, conflicts with HOAs will become a thing of the past even without legislation codifying homeowners’ right to generate clean energy.
