The General Rule
Solar rights laws in most US states limit HOA authority over solar panel installation. While HOAs can typically require ARC (Architectural Review Committee) approval and set reasonable guidelines on placement and aesthetics, they cannot ban solar outright or impose requirements that make installation unreasonably expensive — typically interpreted as adding more than 10% to system cost. Federal law does not currently mandate solar rights, so the level of protection depends heavily on your state.
Colorado-Specific Rules
Colorado §38-30-168 prohibits deed restrictions banning solar energy systems. HOAs can regulate placement but cannot deny solar installations outright.
Why Your CC&Rs May Be Different
State law sets the minimum floor — but your community's CC&Rs, bylaws, and board-adopted rules may be stricter, may include exceptions, or may have been amended recently. The only way to know exactly what applies to your community is to read your specific governing documents.
Most CC&Rs are 40–120 pages of dense legal language. Finding the exact section that answers your question can take 20–30 minutes — if you can find it at all.
Get the exact answer from YOUR community's documents
Upload your CC&Rs and bylaws. Covrly reads them and answers any question with the exact page and section cited. Works on scanned PDFs. No account needed.