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Green Initiative Creates Some Unwanted Heat
By: MultifamilyBiz Staff - 5/13/2008 8:10:30 AM
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HOUSTON, TX - Solar panels seem to make sense in Houston's hot, sunny weather. But some Houston-area homeowners trying them are hitting resistance from homeowners associations that think the panels are unsightly, hurt property values or violate deed restrictions. Last fall, Yangsong Li's homeowners association sent him a litany of reasons he couldn't install solar collectors on the roof of his Webster townhome to heat his water.
The neighborhood group cited aesthetics, insurance liability, deed restrictions and city regulations among its concerns. "Everything they could think of was there," Li, who also sells the systems as a side business, said of the letter denying his request. Such battles are playing out across the state as rising energy prices and concerns about climate change drive more homeowners to think green. And the hurdles to going solar are not going unnoticed by some Texas lawmakers.
Don Newton, vice president of the Walnut Place Property Owners Association, said the group wanted to see contractor permits, architectural drawings, and proof of insurance that covered any damage caused to other townhomes that share Li's roof. "We have nothing against solar energy or conservation," he said. "We just want to make sure that when something is done, it's done properly and according to the guidelines that the city and state provide." Still, some think Texas law gives homeowners associations too much power.
A Houston-based group, Texas Homeowners for HOA Reform, has heard similar stories from homeowners around the state. A San Antonio man was denied a request to put solar panels on his roof because they would be visible from the street. And a Plano homeowner was threatened with fines for not asking for permission to install solar lights. "The whole thing is over control," said Beanie Adolph, a board member of the group.
Last year, the group pushed Senate Bill 358 by Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, and House Bill 1651 by Rep. David Leibowitz, D-San Antonio. Both bills would have thwarted a property owners association's ability to restrict the installation of solar energy devices. Though both bills failed to make it to a vote, both lawmakers plan to reintroduce them, staffers said. There are 34 states with laws addressing the installation of solar power systems by homeowners, according to the American Solar Energy Society. But they vary from simple easement issues to stiff prohibitions, said Neal Lurie, a spokesman for the association.
Some local alternative energy advocates worry the neighborhood rules will keep many from taking advantage of green energy and making investments that, they say, will add value to the homes. Those in the solar business are the most vocal. It's hard enough to find people who can afford to go solar in Texas, so restrictive associations don't help, said Ralph Parrott, president of Houston-based Alternative Power Solutions.
"It's a big problem," Parrott said. "When the developers built the neighborhoods, they designed the HOA agreements and they had no aspirations at that point in time of using renewables. Their whole thing was preserving the beauty of the neighborhood. By placing restrictions on the property, they've kind of tied their hands."
Still, some say things are getting better. John Berger, president of Standard Renewable Energy, said he faced some resistance when he first started to sell solar systems two years ago. He's done presentations to explain what they would look like and how much they save. Most of the concerns are about eyesores, he said. "Once you sit down with people and say, 'Look, what did it cost you to fill up today? And by the way the electric bill is going up,' they start to care less about the aesthetics," Berger said. "What's uglier, the solar or the utility bill?"
Source: Houston Chronicle
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