My neighbor s installation of photovoltaic panels affects me

Can my neighbor see my solar panels?

Even if your neighbor is looking directly at your solar panels, it’s unlikely that they will be significantly affected. However, you may want to inform your neighbors as a polite gesture – just as you would for any major construction project on the exterior of your home. Solar panels are designed to minimize reflection.

Can solar panels affect a neighbor's property?

In one well-publicized example, the mirrored convex surface of a London skyscraper concentrated sunlight into a “death ray” that melted the interior of a nearby parked Jaguar. A dearth of case law exists in California as to allowable levels of heat, light, glare and inconvenience that may be directed by PV panels to a neighbor’s property.

Can a neighbor put solar panels on a front facing roof?

What ever go around comes around. You are in a HOA community so am I. That is why none of my neighbors putting solar panels on front facing roof regardless. The glare can also coming from your side roofs. Since you ask, it is all about courtesy and try to accommodating to your neighbor. Last edited by silversaver; 08-29-2016, 02:24 PM .

Are solar panels a nuisance?

excerpt - Nuisance (Civ. Code, § 3479) is the “unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of the property of another.” One potential nuisance impact from PV panels is extreme glare. In certain alignments, mirror-surface solar panels may direct and concentrate reflected sunlight (and intense heat and glare) toward neighboring properties.

Are solar panels reflective?

Depending on how your panels have been positioned, this glare can end up reflected right into your neighbor’s bedroom window. But, the good news is that solar panels aren’t nearly as reflective as you may think. Manufacturers outfit the PV surface with a layer of anti-reflective materials to help the cells absorb sunlight more efficiently.

Is glare from a neighbor's solar array a nuisance?

In spite of CA being in the forefront of residential solar utilization, there seems to be not much guidance or case law as it applies specifically to glare from a neighbor's solar array as it may/may not constitute a nuisance. Your situation viv-a-vis your neighbor may indeed wind up in court.