For years, North Carolina rooftop solar installers and homeowners associations have clashed over the exact meaning of a 2007 solar access law — with installers complaining that too many Tar Heels are blocked from going solar, and HOAs saying they have broad power to enforce aesthetic uniformity.
Now, the state Supreme Court is poised to rule who’s right.
In Belmont v. Farwig, which the court heard argued last month, there’s no dispute that the law generally prevents solar-panel bans by HOAs created after 2007. The question is when planned communities can take advantage of an exception that lets them veto panels on the fronts of homes.
