One California homeowner was racing the clock as they tried to force their application for solar panels through their HOA's approval process.
"Please excuse me if this has been asked and answered numerous times," they said in their post in an anti-HOA subreddit. "I'm trying to get solar on my condo before NEM 2 dies."
NEM 2 refers to a net metering system previously used in the state to determine how much credit solar panel owners received for the excess power they sold back to local utility companies. Many residents liked the terms of that system better than the updated version that went into effect in 2023, so when the change was announced, they hurried to install solar before the new terms came into play.
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Absolutely not 💯 That's what the original poster was trying to do, but they weren't having much luck. "I contacted a few solar companies and then reached out to HOA via email," they explained. "They are saying '****** Association has not adopted solar guidelines yet' and implying that I cannot continue with the solar company until they have adopted."
That decision seems to go against California law, which is strongly in favor of homeowners who wish to install solar and has several protections to prevent homeowners associations from stopping or even delaying installation. This is great for residents since solar is one of the best ways to save money on electricity, and it's good for the planet, too.
"I know of the Solar Rights Act, but how do I enforce this? Is there any recourse?" the original poster asked.
One option would be to use the HOA's own internal processes to change the association's rules. With enough support from the community, it's possible to overturn HOA decisions, rewrite the rules, or elect new leadership.
However, that's not a fast option. Users offered other advice in the comments.
"In California they cannot deny you the right to put up solar on your percentage of the roof," one commenter said. "If their failure to create a policy is doing that, they can be in major legal trouble. Demand an IDR with the board."
"What's an IDR?" the original poster asked.
"Internal Dispute Resolution... meeting with the Board to resolve issues," the commenter replied. "The Board cannot say no to meeting."
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