Agree...I'd always try for a win-win, and spend energy towards 'good faith' effort..it's easier for someone in authority to weigh in your favor when you enumerate your good faith efforts. I think OP is already well on the way.
True! He did state other roof mount and a ground mount exists, so I think the HOA itself has some language needed to clarify its stance.
“It depends”
And there's typically a limit on how many square feet of coverage can be built on a lot. A ground mount would count as coverage, but not on a roof.
HOA issued dog and cat too?
Wow, so of your HOA covenant was written in the 1970's and they thought to specify call out not allowing solar, that is old enough to be grandfathered in. Anything newer than 1980, all solar panel restrictions are void. That seems like it would have been written as a very small, very specific carve out. Hopefully, not where the OP lives.Howdy neighbor! I will enjoy your chickens provided I get some eggs.
Pertinent AZ rules from that link:
B: is the hitch in the plan
That is what I tried, voluntarily, by offering to pay for vegetation that can obscure their view of the solar array. They have rejected it. They don't want me to have solar as it would be an "eyesore". I don't know what I can else I can offer to make their life easier. They are retired folks and probably set in their daily routine and don't want any changes that could affect their lives. It's funny that in their email to me they acknowledge that my offer is generous, but what if I move and the next owner would not take care of the vegetation. As if they themselves would not move!
Yes, my HOA has an Architectural Controls Committee. I had to submit my building plans to them for approval before I started construction of our house. I did not think I would need their permission to install solar as long as I meet the County rules which I am trying to do. I was planning to submit my plans to the HOA after the county has issued permits as I might need to make changes to the plans to meet all county requirements.
We have a hip roof and not enough area of the roof is facing South. If we do roof mount, we decided it would look very ugly as the solar tiles will need to be installed in East, South and West sides making it not very efficient. Also, we don't like the idea of making a lot of holes in the roof of our brand new home. Our neighbors would have to endure a much bigger eyesore than if we do a ground mount the way I am planning to do now.
That is good to know. How do you apply for a variance? Will your neighbor agree? My neighbor does not want me to do it even at 40' distance (or anywhere) from my property boundary.
That is crazy. Anybody can like or dislike anything and you can't force your neighbor to do things to suit you. What if you don't like the look of their pool? Would they remove the pool?
Your neighbor has already demonstrated their treachery, arrogance and ignorance when you offered an olive branch. At which point for me would be challenge accepted. I’d probably start to mess with their heads with disseminating some misleading info. Something like “Since you weren’t willing to work with us, we found out that it would actually be cheaper to run closer to the fence and install a tall opaque wall with a decorative opaque mural. And since we don’t want to look at your place, I’ll be planting a row of some fast growing trees”. Then pretend to accept a phone call from a contractor. “The backyard speaker system we decided to go with are the six grey boulders, oh don’t forget to add the timer so it can only work between 8AM and 10pm “ then just turn and walk away like they don’t matter.
I don't think they are ugly. I see them as beautiful. Maybe I'm just strange. But I have seen some colorful film covers, called "solar skins," for those who wish to change their look and don't mind a small reduction in efficiency in exchange for it.
www.justsolar.com
And if you take a look at the solar skins I linked above, roof-mounted panels can be made to blend in with the roof. Think of these "skins" as camouflage for solar panels. If the HOA's reason for not allowing them on the roof has strictly to do with aesthetics, surely the skins might solve the problem.
Yap, I'd be happy with them as long as they performed well.
You're welcome..success is sweetest when others are brought along, so don't take offense or become intransigent upon every challenge.
