Solar Rights in the United States

Abstract

Solar rights are legal rights needed to ensure that a piece of land has access to sunlight. These rights may be of interest to property owners seeking to undertake a variety of activities: farming, lighting, and clothes drying, to name a few. But perhaps the most economically significant purpose for which solar rights may be utilized is for the purpose of solar collectors. Such devices are used to harness the rays of the sun and transform them into thermal, chemical, or electrical energy. In an era of increasing deployment of solar collectors across the globe, the fair and efficient allocation of solar rights is of increasing importance.

This chapter will focus on solar rights in the United States. It will address how solar rights are currently allocated and will suggest the need to formulate solar rights that will deliver more optimal policy results in the future.

Keywords: Solar, solar rights, property, land use, renewable energy, zoning, nuisance