One Illinois homeowner considered drastic action when their homeowners association demanded that they remove the expensive and useful solar panels they had already installed.
They posted about their experience in an anti-HOA subreddit. "My HOA in IL is requiring that I remove my solar panels that have been installed for 2 years from the street side of my house," the frustrated homeowner explained. "They say I can put them on the side roof like other neighbors have… But I have a gable roof not a hip roof and they could not figure out why I don't have a side roof."
Though this demand is nonsensical, it's also not surprising. Many HOAs are against solar panels, or at least against visible ones. Despite the money they save homeowners and the way they protect the planet by generating clean energy, many associations restrict or prohibit solar panel installation.
That's a pity because solar panels really are the best way to generate cost-effective and non-polluting energy for your home long-term. They pay for themselves over time in energy savings and can even be used to make your home independent from the grid.
It's simple to get access to those benefits; to get the best deal possible, a great first step is to check out EnergySage's free online marketplace to find vetted providers near you and compare quotes.
EnergySage can also help to navigate tax credits of around $10,000, depending on the size of the project. Those tax credits may only last through 2025, depending on what Congress does with the "Big Beautiful Bill" under consideration, so it's worth exploring sooner rather than later if you're considering panels of your own.
The original poster wanted to hang on to their solar benefits and was willing to fight a legal battle to keep them. "I am trying to contact a lawyer right now," they commented.
"You will want to check state laws and your hoa bylaws, master deed, and use and building restrictions for the neighborhood. If none of these mention that you can't have the panels then you can," advised a commenter.
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"I don't think an HOA can legally make you remove solar panels; check your state laws," another user agreed.
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