In Colorado You Now Have More Solar Options In Your HOA

Bill Ritter the Governor for Colorado signed the Energy Efficenty Bill into law on April 24th.

Since I live in an HOA this means that I have many new options available to me.

This is from the House Bill 1270:

Solar panels are already permitted under state law, but this bill will expand that to wind generators, awnings, shutters, attic fans, swamp coolers and retractable clothes lines.

I would love to see my HOA’s president reaction when he reads the part about wind generators!

COSEIA had a lot to do with this bill, so I asked Lynn Hirshman COSEIA’s executive director for a comment:

In the last year, CoSEIA has received numerous phone calls from residents living in HOAs who wanted to put solar installations on their homes but were being denied by their Associations – even though that’s illegal! Most HOAs, once informed of the law, were surprised but more or less gracefully went ahead and granted permission.

That law is nearly 30 years old; it was drafted during the first flurry of interest in all things solar, and was promptly forgotten until solar became popular and practical once again.

The passage of HB 1270 sends a new message to HOAs: the New Energy Economy is here, and here to stay. You need to be up to date with what you can do to enhance property values while encouraging alternative energies and energy efficiency. Considering that new subdivisions are being built now that include solar panels, my guess is that the days of obstructive HOAs are now pretty much over.