Homeowners may overlook aesthetics when going solar
After a decade of government programs, tax breaks and technical innovations, the extraordinary explosion of photovoltaic solar panel installation has transformed the visual reality of entire neighborhoods.
There are ten times the number of solar installations this year as there were ten years ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and a Pew study has shown that 40% of homeowners in New England are actively considering installing them. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar power reduces carbon dioxide emissions as well as pollutants like sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that has contributed to climate change. By switching to a renewable energy source like solar, people can reduce their carbon footprint as well as save money on their electricity bill.
This change is a good thing on several levels but it can result in ugly neighborhoods. The panels are cheaper and produce more electricity per panel than ever before, and continue to improve. These positive realities mean that a wave of solar installations is on the horizon. The Solar Energy Industries Association predicts a 40% increase in installations between 2022 and 2023. Just like vinyl siding, the net cost of this new layer over our existing homes is undeniably a longterm money-saving benefit. But just like vinyl siding, the practical benefits of solar panels carry aesthetic consequences when they’re installed without considering how it will fit with the existing house.
Homeowners make fashion statements with their homes.
Black windows and trim have spread through neighborhoods during this time of mass solar installation. Solar panel sales are not based on visual appeal, but on the bottom line. It is a simple equation: More panels in the right orientation equals more energy generated and that equals more return on the homeowner’s investment. Since the designer of the panel application is also the salesperson of those panels, there is no motivation to edit the number of panels to mitigate any aesthetic consequences.
This dramatic visual change of so many neighborhoods is as much about homeowners reflecting their values as it is about financial benefits. Just as homeowners hate painting their homes every decade and install vinyl siding to save money, homeowners also hate seeing increasing electrical bills and cannot overlook the reality of climate change. Battery technology has created a second source of energy, so when the power grid is down the solar batteries are an alternative to noisy gas-fueled generators. The resulting undesigned wholesale imposition of solar panels on our existing neighborhoods is shocking to some, invisible to others, but forcefully present.
When the panels step and break to avoid plumbing vents, chimneys, skylights, roof valleys and dormers the visual outcome can be completely messy. The same awkward layering of vinyl siding around existing wall shapes and features in homes creates strange lines and surface breaks. Very little, if any, thought is given to relocating plumbing vents or skylights to limit the visual chaos of randomized solar arrays dancing across our roofs. A simplifying mindset would be to spend some time (and money) considering how the quantities of solar panels interact with the home.
Designing solar panels and vinyl siding layout with a final visual outcome in mind probably means fewer solar panels and more costly siding installation. I know this reality because my work as an architect takes these products and considers their impact on home designs, both in new construction and for renovations. But these design decisions may begin to become regulated, whether a designer is part of the installation or not. Large scale changes to the visual character of our neighborhoods does have community consequences.
Town historic commissions and village districts in Connecticut that are formed to protect the visual character of their communities often regulate the use of solar panels and vinyl siding in neighborhoods. As more homes follow the money and the exterior of homes change, more zoning commissions will seek to regulate homeowner activities — just as they have with electric generators, AC compressors and outbuilding locations, like sheds and garages. Increased regulations follow when homeowners care how the homes around them affect the appeal and value of their residences.
Will there be a cultural pushback on the visual chaos imposed on our communities by the haphazard layout of solar panels? The visual hangover from their installation is becoming evident. “Virtue signaling” by avoiding fossil fuels may make for great dinner party conversation, and the tangible benefits of photovoltaic solar panels are undeniable. So are the visual impacts of our good intentions and we may see a shift in how the installation is regulated in the future.