A condo owner tired of paying for electricity was almost ready to go to incredible lengths to get around their homeowners association's obstruction of their solar panels.
"I doubt I'll have the nerve to do this, but I keep thinking about placing a portable solar panel on the roof of our three-level condo building," said the original poster in a thread on r/solarDIY.
"I have access via a ladder and lockable hatch. Our HOA would not approve due to liability, etc. … Costs of a permanent installation are prohibitive according to my electrician."
According to the original poster, the project would be shockingly achievable.
"I would need to hide 30-plus inches of cable down the side of our building next to a downspout, [then] run it across a lower roof to snake it in through my AC sleeve," they said. "So about a 60-inch cable total."
There were some potential problems due to both the secretive nature of the project and the fact the panels would be designed for temporary use, not permanent installation.
"Securing the portable panels with sandbags on a flat rubber roof, is there risk of causing damage to the roof?" they asked, thinking it through. "I'm in a state where we build for snow and water loads. Would I need to climb up before each storm to lay the panels down flat to prevent wind damage? Then back up the next morning to set them back up? It's possible that I could draw someone's attention, or slip and fall climbing up and down the vertical ladder, so panel stability is an important consideration."
The plan seems a little extreme, but it's understandable that the original poster would want to install solar panels. They generate an incredible amount of electricity without causing any direct pollution, and can generally be expected to save owners so much money that they pay for themselves and then some. That makes them one of the best options available for both homeowners and the planet as a whole — despite the HOAs that often stand in the way.
Sadly, the original poster's specific plan was full of pitfalls. "Sorry, but this all sounds like a dumb idea," said one commenter. "Inevitably someone else will visit the roof and immediately notice what you've done."
"Towns are starting to use Google Earth view to catch unpermitted work, so there's always that threat," said another user.
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The cost 💰 However, what the original poster could do is sign up for community solar — so even though they wouldn't own solar panels, they would still benefit from cheap, pollution-free energy.
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