All Politics is Local: Neighbors Squabble over Home Solar Panels

[Jason]

If you ever had to put up a fence on a common border with your neighbor, you will know how sensitive any kind of improvement to your property can be to your neighbors. What can neighbors argue about? Almost everything. So it should come as no surprise that there are petty and some not so petty arguments about homeowners placing home solar panels on their roofs.The good news for those promoting solar power is that as much as some neighbors may argue about solar panels, the trend is that when one homeowner places solar panels on their roof, then other neighbors may be persuaded to follow suit. Once academic journal published a study that indicated that if your neighbor goes solar, you are more likely to want to place solar panels on your roof as well. Neighborly battles can be divisive and contribute to hard feelings all around. But if solar panels can influence neighbors to work together, that will contribute much to neighborly harmony and good will.

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[J.P.M.]

I'd suggest that's the monkey see - monkey do syndrome. While it may be good for the solar industry, it may not be as good for homeowners. Keeping up with the Jones' doesn't sound like the best reason for adding a solar generating facility to a property, but it's probably one of many contributing factors responsible for the dearth of cost effective systems in my neighborhood.

In my HOA, after 50+ installs, I'd estimate this sheeple mentality is one of the more common reasons for adding solar and also one of the less commonly talked about. Maybe, because it seems so natural, no one notices it.