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PV value on homes sees some evidence

This recent report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that there is evidence that California home buyers and sellers value photovoltaic solar systems installed on residential homes. This concept seems like it should obviously be true – that if you have an additional feature on an otherwise equivalent house it should sell for more money. However, various home owner associations around the United States often have arcane rules about what a homeowner can and cannot do to their home. Oftentimes installation of PV panels are frowned upon in some neighborhoods, and that is a tremendous shame. If someone is willing to pay for PV panels, which is still not the most effective investment for saving money from purchasing grid-based electricity, then that home owner should not have artificial barriers put into his/her way.

This and future studies will provide evidence that PV panels add value to homes just as do other features that do not provide or save energy (e.g. granite counter tops and tile floors). There are enough difficulties trying to develop and deploy new energy technologies, and we do not need attitudes to be one of these difficulties. There is very little that is inherently more beautiful about a normal roofing material versus a PV panel or even solar hot water panel. If you get the chance, tell your home owner association to remove barriers to energy efficient and energy-producing systems. I for one made sure to move into a neighborhood that didn’t have a homeowner association.

Posted by Carey King on April 25, 2011 4:17 AM | Permalink