About Not Safe For Solar
Our Mission
Not Safe For Solar exists to help North Carolina homeowners make informed decisions about installing solar panels. The platform crowdsources HOA restriction data to provide transparency for those navigating solar installation.
Why This Matters
North Carolina HOAs hold varying stances on solar energy. Some embrace it fully while others create barriers. Understanding these policies ahead of time reduces costs, time expenditure, and unnecessary complications.
How It Works
- Homeowners and installers anonymously submit HOA policies and supporting documents
- AI technology analyzes submissions and extracts key policy information
- The team reviews and verifies submissions before publication
- Users can browse, search, and filter HOAs by county and severity rating
HOA Severity Ratings
We rate each HOA on a 1-5 scale based on how they treat homeowners who want to install solar panels. Ratings reflect both the HOA's governing documents and their actual behavior — because what an HOA does matters more than what's on paper.
No solar restrictions, or the HOA explicitly welcomes solar installations. Minimal or no approval process required.
Reasonable cosmetic requirements only — screening hardware, color matching — that don't restrict panel placement or reduce system effectiveness. Easy approval path.
Burdensome requirements that deter homeowners: excessive fees, long timelines, vague language used to delay or discourage solar installations. The HOA may not have a legal basis to deny, but they make the process painful.
The HOA actively denies solar applications, issues fines, or threatens legal action — despite lacking a legally enforceable basis under NC law. The homeowner can ultimately prevail under Belmont v. Farwig, but the HOA forces them to fight for it.
An express solar prohibition exists in the recorded Declaration of CC&Rs, or the HOA imposes requirements so onerous they constitute a de facto ban. This is the only level where the restriction may be legally enforceable under the narrow subsection (d) exception of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 22B-20.
Disclaimer
Information comes from community submissions and public documents for informational purposes only — not legal guidance. HOA policies evolve; severity ratings represent submission timeframes only. The site makes reasonable verification efforts but cannot guarantee accuracy or completeness. For disputes, consulting a qualified attorney is recommended, with referrals available on our legal resources page.
The organization maintains independence from HOAs, installers, and government entities.
Privacy
Submissions: All anonymous. No personal data collected unless voluntarily provided. Documents stored securely, never publicly released.
Analytics: Privacy-focused tracking only; no third-party cookies or data sales.
Data retention: Documents kept to improve database accuracy. Removal requests accepted at admin@notsafeforsolar.com.