Solar Access Law

If you own a unit in a Connecticut homeowners association, the association cannot adopt or enforce rules that effectively prohibit you from putting solar panels on your own roof, as long as that roof isn't shared with another unit owner. The association can still set rules on the size of the system, how it is attached, installed or removed, and your upkeep duties, and it can bar panels on common elements. This law does not apply to condominiums or cooperatives, so check with your association or a Connecticut attorney about your situation.

Connecticut law (S.B. 4, 2022) bars homeowners associations from blocking a unit owner's rooftop solar PV installation when the roof is not shared with another unit owner, which can open up more residential customers in HOA communities. Expect associations to impose reasonable rules on system size, method of affixing, installation and removal, and owner maintenance, and plan designs accordingly. Installations on common elements can be prohibited, and the law does not cover condominiums or cooperatives, so confirm the community type before quoting.

This is a state solar access policy enacted through S.B. 4 in 2022 that added a provision to Connecticut's statutes on homeowners association rules, and it involves no funding or application process. It prohibits associations from adopting or enforcing rules that effectively ban a unit owner's rooftop solar PV on a roof not shared with another owner, while allowing rules on system size, installation manner, owner upkeep and maintenance, and a ban on systems on common elements. It targets residential and multifamily residential owners in common interest communities, but does not apply to condominiums or cooperatives.