Trees, Shade and Solar Panels = a Possible Crime

Considering solar panels? How is your relationship with your neighbors? You might want to look around you and see if any neighbors have trees which may in the future shade your planned panel locations. Technically, if they eventually do, it will be a crime.

Richard Treanor and neighbor Mark Vargas are both very green. They both recycle, one has a hybrid and the other an all-electric, etc. etc. However, Treanor has ended up in Santa Clara County Superior Court because his large, 35-foot oak trees, which he planted over a decade ago, shade the solar panels in Vargasâ?? yard.

Itâ??s because of a little-known California law called the Solar Shade Control Act (.PDF), passed in 1979 after the Oil Crisis convinced California lawmakers (obviously, not federal ones) of the importance of solar energy. The law states:

After January 1, 1979, no person owning, or in control of a property shall allow a tree or shrub to be placed, or, if placed, to grow on such property, subsequent to the installation of a solar collector on the property of another so as to cast a shadow greater than 10 percent of the collector absorption area upon that solar collector surface on the property of another at any one time between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., local standard time; provided, that this section shall not apply to specific trees and shrubs which at the time of installation of a solar collector or during the remainder of that annual solar cycle cast a shadow upon that solar collector.

This is the first time this law has ever been applied, and it calls for fines of up to $1,000 a day. Fortunately, Treanor has note been fined, but he has been ordered to cut down two of his trees.

We Say: This creates an enormous conundrum, as you can see. Greater adoption of solar panels is necessary in the future, to reduce dependence on oil and global warming. However, reduction of CO2 could certainly be helped by more trees. But we have to cut them down, so solar panels can get sunlight. Quite the dilemma.

Vargas has a $100,000 system which generates enough electricity for his needs. Some might wonder if this is just a typical property line dispute rather than something over solar, but who really knows.

The trees are scheduled to come down on 3/28, but Treanor has indicated he may appeal.
» Trees, Shade and Solar Panels = a Possible Crime » Blog Archive Alice Hill’s Real Tech News - Independent Tech

Coming from a state that has ALOT of trees, I just don't agree with this. Solar power is great but mother nature deserves her props also.

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

This is perfect!!!! Cut all those fuckin' trees down now damn it!! We are trying to save the fuckin' planet over here!
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:lol5::lol5::S2::lol5::lol5::lol5::lol5::S2:
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I'm not really sure what I think of this law. It's probably based on the types of laws that prevent one person from planting trees that block another person's established views.

Anyway, that aside, it sounds like the article has made some kind of factual error. It starts out by saying you need to consider your neighbor's existing trees, but the law it quotes specifies trees planted "subsequent to the installation of a solar collector..." So it seems like if the trees are already there, they are safe, but if the solar collector is there first, it has "dibs" on the sun that falls on it. If that's the way it is applied, then it seems fair to me. You should not be able to make someone cut down an established tree, but you should also not be able to ruin another person's investment in a power system by planting a new tree to block it.