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Solar Panels on Your Historic Home?
September/October 2021
 Historic bungalow with solar panels. Courtesy ConsumerAffairs.com |
The California Solar Rights Act encourages the use of solar energy systems in all buildings, historic or not, and for resources that are designated historic or not. This is an example of how historic preservation can work to increase sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint.
The act ensures the installation cannot be regulated for aesthetic purposes. For a designated historic resource (without a Mills Act contract), and a non-contributing historic district property, this means that when applying for a permit, Historical Resources Board staff will require the submittal of a roof and site plan, identifying where the solar array would be located, then work with the applicant for unique site-specific solutions that aim to meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Typically, this means not visible from the ground or public rights-of-way. For more on how to meet the standards, see HERE.
If there is a Mills Act contract on the property, which is a voluntary commitment that all work will be consistent with the standards, staff is required to ensure that is the case, including the placement of solar energy systems. Properties that have the potential for individual historic significance or are located within a historical district that is identified in a community plan will not be reviewed by staff. However, any homeowner interested in future historic designation should meet with staff before submitting for a permit to help the project meet the standards.
The City of San Diego Historical Resource Board staff offer 30-minute virtual meetings that can be booked HERE or you can email questions about installing solar panels on historic properties to HistoricalResources@sandiego.gov.
Read more about the revised California Solar Rights Act, Assembly Bill 2188, HERE.
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