Homeowner Finds Clever Way To Sidestep His HOAs Strict Solar Panel Rules: ‘[HOAs] Can Be Brutal

For Virginia resident Jonathan Lockwood, despite homeowners association (HOA) restrictions, the easiest way to get solar power for his home is to install Timberline solar panels from GAF Energy, according to Energy News Network.

A popular Reddit post about the incident noted that a Virginia law called the Property Owners Association Act protects the rights of homeowners to install solar panels.

The law is intended to prohibit any requirements that would make a home solar system more expensive or less efficient.

However, there is one clear exception to homeowners' association law: An HOA can restrict the use of solar panels if the association's "registered statement imposes such a restriction."

Lockwood and his company's account manager, Jim Hester, decided to avoid litigation with the HOA. “Houses in Reston can be tough. If you put a mailbox in the wrong color, they want to put you in jail,” Hester told Energy News Network.

That's why Lockwood and Hester chose Timberline's solar roofing systems, according to Energy News Network. It is paired with a traditional asphalt tile roof with dark shingles that follow the slope of the structure without resting on a tall column.

According to Lockwood, "it doesn't look like a Mars colony" like larger traditional solar panels.

Despite the system's subtle appearance, it produces 3.86 kilowatts, Energy News Network reports. That's enough to cut your home's monthly energy bill in half, from about $150 to $74.

This efficient and attractive system has been compared to Tesla's solar cooker. Ray Holmes, vice president of products for GAF Energy, is a former employee of Tesla and SolarCity, the company that originally developed the Tesla system.

Holmes told Energy News Network that it took a specially trained crew two weeks to install the Tesla solar tiles. In contrast, Timberline solar panels are easy to install in one day, allowing them to be deployed on a much larger scale.

“It took 12 to 13 years for rooftop solar to overcome those hurdles because even then solar companies were still trying to build roofs,” Holmes said. “Here’s a roofing company that makes solar panels.”

Commenters on Reddit are skeptical of Timberline but encouraged by its success in moving closer to Lockwood's HOA. As one user said, “HOA is a crime.”

Sign up for our free newsletter to receive simple tips on how to help yourself , save more , spend less and help the planet.

The most controversial topic on the Internet