A Solar Guide for Condominium Owners and Associations

This guide is designed for use by condominium owners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It can help a “solar champion,” an interested member of a condominium association, to explore the options for installing solar PV. The guidebook discusses certain legal aspects of condominiums, explains how a solar project fits into an association’s decision making process, and provides information about ownership models for solar projects at condominiums in Massachusetts. The primary laws governing the establishment and operation of condominium associations are state-specific. While some of the information provided herein may be applicable to condominium owners considering installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system more generally, it should not be relied upon in jurisdictions outside of Massachusetts. This guide is for informational use only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.

The development and publication of this guide was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge II. This production of this guide was managed by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) through the New England Solar Cost-Reduction Partnership, a Rooftop Solar Challenge II project. The New England Solar Cost-Reduction Partnership is working to reduce the costs of solar deployment across five New England states by targeting non-hardware solar “soft” costs.