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Comment by emcrazyone | Hacker News Reader

Curious... I live in suburbia where putting solar panels on one's domicile would most likely be met with an order to remove or fines.

I had an experimental panel in my backyard to provide power to a work shop shed. The shed was there when I purchased the property & house. About 6 months after planting a pole in the ground, behind the shed, but in view to my neighbors garnered a letter from the township where I live that basically said to remove it for being an eye sore.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?

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I don't think people realize how many restrictions are put on their property--mainly my small towns, and entities. Every year Busy Bodies(usually retired with no interests), or local politicians looking for something to do; complain, and enact these rediculios laws. They are essentiall eye sore laws, and usually originate from people who should never talk about aesthetics. You buy a piece of property and really can't do much to it. I would like to call out my own town, but I have shared too much here--they could probally harass me in some way?

I would look into fighting whomever told you to remove the solar panel. I thought solar panels were protected by Federal law? In my town, I couldn't put up a car shade for one day--without risking a ticket. I don't know what country you are in, but in the United States we have way to many laws. "Oh it sounds good, and doesn't effect me; let's enact a law prohibiting it."

>Has anyone else ran into this problem?

So many people did that this very practice is now banned in the state of California.

Florida as well. Their state law specifically prohibits HOAs from disallowing solar panel installation.

Do you mean an HOA is regulating this or the town itself?

there is no HOA. The township sent me a letter saying it violated some ordinance about affixing stuff to the ground like a flag pole. It was affixed to the ground with a solar panel on top of the pole. I've contemplated moving the panel to the roof of the shed where I think they wouldn't have an argument then.

Maybe decorate it with flowers? Or talk with your neighbors? =/

That's crazy. What, they hate tax credits? I'm glad I live in middle of a smallish city, where the 20 panels on my roof don't raise any eyebrows whatsoever.

What if you put the panel on the shed roof?

Also, there are solar 'panels' in the shape of shingles or roof tiles that blend in much more than the 'traditional' ones.

Yes, I'm thinking of doing just that. I'm sure the neighbors complained about the eye sore and so they used an ordinance to force me to take it down. So, yes, moving to the roof I think might work.

Would you mind posting a link to the ones that look like shingles?

I know that the company 'Eternit' has roof tiles called 'Solesia'; real 'shingles' I haven't seen in real life myself, but one of the first Google hits is http://www.dowpowerhouse.com/ .

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