As the interest in solar energy continues to grow in the Oroville, Ca and Paradise, Ca real estate markets a whole new set of concerns and potential problems lay in wait if owners of Oroville and Paradise homes don’t plan accordingly.
Earlier this week I received an interesting article from Lorna Joseph, the Branch Manager of our local Bidwell Title and Escrow office, that has been published by the California Land Title Association. The article discusses some of the potential new issues that may come about as the expansion of the use of solar energy continues to grow.
Most specifically it discusses
s the need for solar users or potential solar users to consider the consequences of not having guaranteed access to the sun. I know, I know, everyone has access to the sun right? All you have to do is walk outside on a clear day in the Lake Oroville or Paradise real estate markets and the sun is so bright that you gotta wear shades. While that is true for you, it may not be true for your home.
The article asks you to consider what may happen when you have your solar collectors installed to catch the most amount of light, only to have your next door neighbor plant some trees or do some home remodeling that blocks, or significantly inhibits, the sunlight from reaching the collector panels. Imagine spending $30,000 – $40,0000 for a solar energy system only to have it rendered useless by two or three big trees.
The most practical solution to this issue, according to the article would be the negotiation of easements between property owners where one property owner would receive assurances from the other that the sunlight which travels over the neighbor’s property would always be available. Of course this assurance is going to have a price attached to it. But if reasonable, the price may be more that offset in the energy saving cost realized by the solar owner.
It seems to me that this is going to be a very thorny issue going forward as more and more homes become solar equipped. With the number of tall pines in the town of Paradise, for example, it could be nearly impossible to procure a sunlight easement as you may need 3 or 4 homeowners to grant an easement to their sunlight. Negotiating an easement with one homeowner is difficult enough. Trying to negotiate with more than one may take divine intervention.
The moral of the article: As with anything, be sure to plan ahead and consider all the pluses and minuses before moving ahead with any home project.
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Dear Mark,
Thank you very much for the Bidwell Title & Lorna Joseph plug! I emailed Trevor and let him know what you had done. Lorna was surprised and thrilled. That was a very nice thing for you to do for us.
Emily