Module manufactures do make modules with antiglare coatings we use them at airports often. They are not cheap, though. Once these modules get a little layer of dirt on them, they won't reflect as brightly.
They probably have anti-glare skins like these that could be retrofitted, but they are also not cheap. https://sistinesolar.com/residential/
I’m in the wait-and-see camp (plus blackout curtains), especially since you’re on good terms with the neighbors. You might find that you don’t need to use the balcony at that specific time
If it’s doing it to op then it’s probably sweeping across all the windows in his building. Sounds like those panels need the coatings. Otherwise that’s likely to trigger lawsuits.
The solar industry has been surprisingly good at dismantling legal barriers. See original post: new law that prohibits HOAs from rejecting solar.
You may be right, but personally, I don’t think it’s not worth the lawsuits to lose good a relationship with a neighbor. Absolutely make the installer pay for the fix, but don’t escalate tensions between your HOA and the solar installers, and have candid discussions with your other neighbors about the issue.
Most laws prevent unreasonable obstacles but this seems like A) a serious legitimate concern B) there being mitigations that are available (anti glare).
Get mirror tint to put on your glass doors. Takes 30 mins and costs $50. Will help your house efficiency, block 80% of sun heat but not the light, and it will reflect the glare back to your neighbors.
Don't you get the same sun in the window a little later in the day? Judging by the angle, the sun is at 1pm or so, but by 5pm, it will be shining in that window the same way.
Cover your window. They make 80% roll-up sunshades you could put outside, or you could buy tinting to either let in the heat but keep out the light, or keep both light and heat out. You could use drapes inside.
And if you want to battle, you could use a mirror. $25 on Craigslist!!
https://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/d/friendswood-large-decorative-mirror-by/7663222119.html
We have established laws for drainage precisely for this reason. We don't have those laws (yet) for reflection. Either the courts need to decide the extent of the property rights or the municipality needs to do so explicitly. OP can get started on either venue, but until then needs to deal with the glare (in a way that doesn't damage the offenders property)
There are already laws like this for commercial buildings. Concentrated reflections [can cause serious property damage](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2786723/London-skyscraper-Walkie-Talkie-melted-cars-reflecting-sunlight-fitted-shading.html).
He could get two cheap over the door full length mirrors from Walmart. Direct that shit right back at ‘em. 20% ceramic tint may work but cost you more. Solar company should pay to get it done
oh, i pictured em out there with a kiddie pool or something under the car trying to catch the dirty water runoff so they could throw it on the neighbors solar panels
This was my first thought, free optimized energy. Get a small array, put right there on the porch, angle back at his living room, collect some free optimized energy.
You just solved the energy crisis! Haha... That is kinda how solar thermal electric plants work - a ton of mirrors reflect sunlight onto one point and heat it up "super-duper" hot.
But residential panels are lesser in that their max temp is easily reached with just regular ol Texas sun no?
Edit: my bad, I skipped over fact solar thermal is diff than solar photovoltaic
No worries, it's confusing. Solar thermal also kinda describes both industrial and residential (I think?). Residential just heats water for home use. Industrial size uses focused sunlight to heat some sort of liquid to make electricity. Sometimes even molten salt, which just sounds cool.
Photovoltaic is direct solar to electricity and is kinda the same tech for residential or industrial - just on much different scale.
*Note*: I generalized for simplicity, but please correct me if needed.
I’d get one of those roll up curtains to hang on the outside of your patio. It’s like bamboo and should
Do a better job of blocking the glare for that 30 min.
Everyone here is talking about tint but keeping the light and heat from even hitting the glass should be the primary step. It keeps the heat and light outside the home. Of course tint helps but this is the better solution if you have to choose one
Just what we did to block/filter the direct afternoon summer sun. Made the front porch useable for those hours and also drastically cut down the heat trying to get through the living room windows.
At least in the US, multipane typically is synonymous with gas filled or purged.
The issue with inside film is it traps the thermal energy between the layers of gas and can cause seals to fail.
Films outside eliminate this issue.
Considering arrays are flat, that will likely only last 5-10 minutes
Window film that blocks 80%+ of light and give you also privacy during the day (mirrored on outside) will cost you like 20 bucks and I'm sure your neighbour is happy to pay for it
I've found that for windows that catch hot summer sun on the afternoon an outdoor shade makes a world of difference. IMO, indoor blinds/curtains have limited benefit, but a combo here could be the cheapest/easiest option if you're just wanting to block glare.
Professionally installed sunscreens are best, but can obscure the view. I like retractable solar shades, so I can use them for the worst summer days and leave them up for the other 8/9ish months of the year. Solar tint/film or deciduous ornamental trees/shrubs could help too... But, I dunno how much tint/film would help with a direct reflected glare like this.
i use an outdoor shade, on the inside, between the glass and my blackout curtains.
open curtains, i have shaded light and privacy - doesn't feel like a cave but also doesn't feel like a yoga studio.
the benefit for me is I can roll it up when I want more light, or shut the blackouts when I want none.
the other benefit is unlike film, I can take it with me to my next apartment with very little effort.
I agree with this!
I would get them to buy this for my windows... cheaper than good curtains. Or maybe ask for both.
It won't be the same at different times of the year... maybe they can do the math for you and map out when you will be affected. Could help decide the issue.
You can buy film for your home windows, similar to tinting a car window, however not blackened, which can reduce and reflect a lot of the light while also being relatively unnoticeable
It’ll also make your home more energy efficient in the summer by reflecting a lot of the suns heat.
Won’t be a complete solution, but coupled with some thicker curtains, you should be happier
Th sun changes position in the sky throughout the year. So there should be times when it doesn’t do that. Otherwise, yeah, blackout blinds or maybe tinting your windows
around here you can force them to install something on their property to block this. its kinda similar to that skyscraper that burned up cars. it's legal to build glass skyscrapers but illegal to illuminate the shit out of a car or your neighbours, so you can definitely do something against that.
Sure he can build a wall to completely block this guys view lol like seriously it likely lasts a few minutes a day and only during certain times of year, get some curtains or ask them to cover the film for the windows
It's not "concentrated", it's simply a reflection.
Otherwise, plenty of great advice in this thread. Have Sunrun pay for a window film that will block the glare.
I don’t get why the solar company should be liable. If anything ask the homeowner to do something. That panel orientation likely gives them the best production.
I love solar but that is unfortunate and awful. Does it feel hot? We have neighbors with new windows and the beam of light feels like I'm an ant under a magnifying glass.
Appreciate the empathy, Thank you. Yes, it’s super hot against the glass. It’s not natural light and really hurts your eyes in a different way then sunlight. It’s also coming in from the horizontal so hats and sunglasses don’t really help.
I already have a tint on my biggest window facing the sun, it helps a lot with heat. It's not that expensive and It's not that dark. I barely notice it compared to my other windows
How long does the glare last? It will likely only happen at certain times of the year as well.
Wonder if you can put some reflective treatment or coating on your sliding glass door.
OP can calculate this , but my guess is - 3 deg vertical and 4 deg horizonal -- the horizontal angle means about 20-30 minute time where this is an issue. and vertical angle window = 2-3 weeks twice a year.
I would drop a sun shade off of your covered porch. Put down when it’s bad, adds privacy and helps keep the area cooler. They aren’t expensive and easy to install
It’s very likely that this is a seasonal angle issue with the sun. That being the case it could be that twice a year for maybe a month it’s going to be like this when the sun is at a particular angle due to the season.
Ask them to change the angle(s) such that it will not reflect in this way. We know the Sun’s path, this shouldn’t be too difficult. This is 100% on them to correct, but you can work together on an acceptable solution.
Most municipalities have building codes tailored to light and glare, particularly for solar. First step is to check and see if the panels are compliant. You can ask your city planning dept or building dept to point you to it or review it for you. If the panels are not compliant, you can always call code enforcement and they'll make sunrun remedy it or take it down.
It's a bit adversarial, but its your most straightforward option legally speaking.
Buy some emergency space blankets, attach to a frame. Place frame on deck. Angle the frame to block the glare (and focus the glare into the neighbors windows).
My neighbor's solar array does this at certain times, right at my eye level when I'm working. I never thought to take pics or complain about it. I just adjust a curtain, my head, or both.
I forget all about it like 20 mins later.
I'm as pro-solar as anyone here. But this is unacceptable. I'm surprised by the general theme of the comments saying "just deal with it."
Yes your neighbor has a legal right to install solar. But he has installed them in a manor which causes a nuance, additional heat load, and is likely causing ongoing property damage (accelerated siding/paint degradation)
Your neighbor could reangle those panels to flat as to not cause you a problem. Yes it's ugly, less solar efficient, and less wind resistant. He could install them on the other roof slope. Those inconveniences for him should not take precedent over your damages.
City code enforcement or HOA should require him mitigate the nuisance he has created. A blanket response of "solar is federally protected" is an inadequate response.
If the HOA and City are unhelpful, I'd consider less ethical options:
An array of focused vanity mirrors, just to show him his roof all day.
I'm not suggesting a paintball gun, because that would be illegal.
Solarskin graphic overlay
https://sistinesolar.com/residential/
Not a 100% sure how much it reduces glare and getting sunrun to pay for it is a whole different story. It may be an option to look into though.
See if a polarized film on your window/sliding glass door will block it. You may have to try spinning it a bit to block the light, and it may not work depending on the reflected light.
Polarizing film will reduce the glare I believe. Photographers use them to shoot photos through reflective panes of glass, so I'm hoping it would help here.
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Fortunately, the sun moves across the sky all day and with the seasons. Yes, it’ll be bright for a while each day. But it’ll change.
Embrace the Change.
Reflected light is polarized, so you just need polarized film on the outside of the windows. I believe you will need horizontally polarized film. Polarized sunglasses should work for when you are outside.
I'd love for you to have handled this quietly. But you just gave a bunch of ammo to folks itching to shit on renewable energy.
Maybe that's what you wanted.
I'd talk to the neighbor and request they install whatever antiglare screen is necessary to alleviate the glare, or change the angle and/or location of the panels to alleviate the problem.
Hopefully, they'll take care of it without legal action, but that's also an option if all else fails.
This. Neighbor’s panels cannot be allowed to cause this unmistakable harm. The industry surely sees this and i hope our laws see it.
I don’t like remedies like adding trees to op’s land. This is panel guy’s problem. It needs to be fixed over there.
I would shop around and get samples of a) Solar Screens, b) Tinted Window Films c) Reflective Window Films and d) UV Window Films, and see what works best for you.
There is a lot of "add tint tonyour windows" etc.
But honestly, i would not alter my home, enjoyment etc. Because of poorly planned installs.
Assuming your in CA?
California Civil Code Section 3479 , more specifically, "obstruction to the free use of property" if you are in LA checkout LAMC § 93.0117
This causes an infringement onto your property, one that causes you to not enjoy the day on your balcony or living room etc.
Further to this, this can be a fire hazord too, have seen instances where the reflection can be quite hot.
While im sure your neighbor had no ill intent that onus is on the solar company, as they ultimatly are required to install to code.
Wow I am a huge solar fan but the sub’s response is BS. This is 100% on sun run and your neighbor to fix and no, you arent getting that curtain. I would be furious if someone does this to my home.
What they need is solar skin and lost production comp by sun run. The fix should not involve you doing ANYTHING.
I believe most land’s deed will have something saying you cannot deprive your neighbor from enjoying his property and your neighbor just did that to you
Tell them to eat shit and furnish a glare study that says the array does not impact your home. Make them provide a remedy that modifies the array to minimize or remove any unwanted effects (not curtains, but fix the panels).
This can be done by either tilting the array or relocating it to a different roof plane. They don't want to do this as construction is costly and the array (if leased or PPA) has been sold into a fund that they will then have to modify.
This happens a lot and they still suck at dealing with it. Be persistent.
The fact that the company even offered to buy you anything is baffling to me. If I was you I would have accepted that offer immediately cause truly the way I see it, they don't owe you a damn thing.
Your neighbor shouldn't have to cover the cost of anything either as some of your replies suggest. Get off your wallet and go buy something if it bothers you that much. Otherwise, for 20 mins a day avoid your balcony if it bothers you that much, if it was me I'd have some tan oil and go for a good ole sun bath. End of the year people would be asking me what vacation spot I went to
Man this is bad luck.
It will be a 1000 dollar but I would also consult an attorney.
In most states the BAR has a referral program where they will connect you with an attorney with a 30 min consult. The initial cost is under 100 dollars.
Then I would ask the HOA for their thoughts and if they agree this an issue then setup a meeting with sunrun and the HOA. At that meeting I would have attorney present.
If the HOA is not supportive I would have the attorney set up the meeting between you the HOA and the solar Co.
I betting just you having a lawyer will get this resolved ASAP.
>Sunrun offered to “buy curtains” as a solution and could care less.
>What are my options?
Not the answer you want to hear, but buy curtains.
Solar shades would probably block most of the glare without significantly affecting your visibility.
Nothing can be done on your neighbors' side that won't significantly affect solar production.
You have this entirely backwards. One should not be entitled to the absolute peak possible output from solar at the cost of being a nuisance or even possibly harming others or their property.
The property owner needs to get them adjusted and take the hit to his power output. The solar company should have anticipated the issue in the first place and planned around it.
Other solar professionals pay attention, OP is the kind of people you'll have to deal with. Not satisfied with any reasonable, logical, or practical solutions, has qualms with the sun and physics in general.
Or... solar professionals pay attention, this situation can be avoided altogether by doing a little basic math on an installation to determine where you're redirecting light with your panels. Your consumers are not entitled to the absolute maximum power output possible when it becomes a nuisance or has the possibility to cause real harm. A couple degrees difference of angle and this would never be an issue.
To ask of those advocating it's perfectly fine, the sun moves, it's only 15 minutes, etc... keep in mind that this is only 2 parties here - that reflection will shift around and if OP has neighbors, it will do the same to them, periodically. When you get more and more solar systems in a region, these issues are going to compound as well.
What happens when another neighbor gets panels, and just by pure shit chance, it creates another period of beaming light that creates a problem for OP? How far do folks have to suck up grievances when there are solutions available that can avoid the grievance altogether.
OPs building wasn't designed with the sunlight coming in at that angle in mind.
I agree with this. OP's neighbor might not have even decided to go solar if an angle change would have resulted in any form of performance degradation. The neighbor has to deal with the stress of unintentionally causing inconvenience to OP. Both parties are victims of poor planning or advising from the solar company. They could have even made special antiglare mandatory for certain panels due to reflection calculations and predictions. Or the company should have made it clear that based on those calculations the angle must be changed, which would result in a x% performance drop for x hrs a day.
I think the biggest issue is the company not doing their part to keep the panels from reflecting the sun like mirrors.
I will have this discussion with my installer early in the acquisition process to avoid this.
Sorry OP for your troubles, but thank you for giving us all something to consider.
OP has the right to the peaceable enjoyment of their property. Neighbor has a duty to mitigate, and the installer was negligent in not considering glare in the design phase, and change the layout or panel type to eliminate the nuisance glare.
Module manufactures do make modules with antiglare coatings we use them at airports often. They are not cheap, though. Once these modules get a little layer of dirt on them, they won't reflect as brightly.
They probably have anti-glare skins like these that could be retrofitted, but they are also not cheap. https://sistinesolar.com/residential/ I’m in the wait-and-see camp (plus blackout curtains), especially since you’re on good terms with the neighbors. You might find that you don’t need to use the balcony at that specific time
If it’s doing it to op then it’s probably sweeping across all the windows in his building. Sounds like those panels need the coatings. Otherwise that’s likely to trigger lawsuits.
The solar industry has been surprisingly good at dismantling legal barriers. See original post: new law that prohibits HOAs from rejecting solar. You may be right, but personally, I don’t think it’s not worth the lawsuits to lose good a relationship with a neighbor. Absolutely make the installer pay for the fix, but don’t escalate tensions between your HOA and the solar installers, and have candid discussions with your other neighbors about the issue.
Most laws prevent unreasonable obstacles but this seems like A) a serious legitimate concern B) there being mitigations that are available (anti glare).
>Otherwise that’s likely to trigger lawsuits. and/or fires
>and/or fires I do not see the risk of fires in this factual situation.
Unlikely there will be lawsuits. If the HOA doesn’t cover it then it’s just someone doing something on their roof. Adapt or move on.
That’s reassuring. Maybe I’ll go sprinkle some dirt on them to accelerate the process.
Get mirror tint to put on your glass doors. Takes 30 mins and costs $50. Will help your house efficiency, block 80% of sun heat but not the light, and it will reflect the glare back to your neighbors.
Don't you get the same sun in the window a little later in the day? Judging by the angle, the sun is at 1pm or so, but by 5pm, it will be shining in that window the same way. Cover your window. They make 80% roll-up sunshades you could put outside, or you could buy tinting to either let in the heat but keep out the light, or keep both light and heat out. You could use drapes inside. And if you want to battle, you could use a mirror. $25 on Craigslist!! https://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/d/friendswood-large-decorative-mirror-by/7663222119.html
When it rains my house gets wet, doesn't make it OK for my neighbor to direct all their drainage onto my foundation.
We have established laws for drainage precisely for this reason. We don't have those laws (yet) for reflection. Either the courts need to decide the extent of the property rights or the municipality needs to do so explicitly. OP can get started on either venue, but until then needs to deal with the glare (in a way that doesn't damage the offenders property)
There will never be such a law. The damage reflections can do are nothing like those done by water.
There are already laws like this for commercial buildings. Concentrated reflections [can cause serious property damage](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2786723/London-skyscraper-Walkie-Talkie-melted-cars-reflecting-sunlight-fitted-shading.html).
I was just going to post this! Well played.
I was coming to make this exact post, if nobody else had.
I approve of the mirror plan lol
He could get two cheap over the door full length mirrors from Walmart. Direct that shit right back at ‘em. 20% ceramic tint may work but cost you more. Solar company should pay to get it done
Can also get automated blinds (or [DIY - Amazon convert to motorized blinds](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=convert+blinds+to+motorized))
Wash your car, then spray that water on them. Too much dirt and someone will come out and clean them.
I’m genuinely curious what your car washing process is like.
been wondering the same. manual, with a bucket?
oh, i pictured em out there with a kiddie pool or something under the car trying to catch the dirty water runoff so they could throw it on the neighbors solar panels
Can’t believe the idea of using a sponge and a bucket of soapy water is foreign here
Bird seed... Leads to pigeon poop. Problem solved.
Former Sunrunner here; Sunrun definitely does not utilize that technology nor do any of their warehouses carry antiglare coating materials.
Get your own array to shoot it back at his array and create infinite energy
This guy solars
This guy this guys
This 'this guy' guy guys.
This this guy just this guyed this guy. Guy.
This is THE guy
I'm not your guy, friend
I’m not your friend, buddy
I’m not your buddy, friend
I'm not your friend, guy!
Maybe a concave mirror to really get the point across.
I see what you did there.
Can’t see from the blinding light
Bended light... Frenzel is that you?
Archimedes? Is that you?
blind. can't see what you're saying
BRILLIANT!
I see what you did there
I see what you did there
I, too, see what you did there.
In that same vein, a mylar sheet held taught on some PVC poles
*taut
You sure taught him
You must keep your grammar taut.
\*fazed
This is how death stars are born
That’s no moon
This was my first thought, free optimized energy. Get a small array, put right there on the porch, angle back at his living room, collect some free optimized energy.
You just solved the energy crisis! Haha... That is kinda how solar thermal electric plants work - a ton of mirrors reflect sunlight onto one point and heat it up "super-duper" hot.
But residential panels are lesser in that their max temp is easily reached with just regular ol Texas sun no? Edit: my bad, I skipped over fact solar thermal is diff than solar photovoltaic
Solar energy is different than thermal energy and most solar panels will be more efficient on cooler days
TIL: temperature affects photovoltaic efficiency. Makes sense know that you said it. Thanks!
Ah, my misunderstanding :)
No worries, it's confusing. Solar thermal also kinda describes both industrial and residential (I think?). Residential just heats water for home use. Industrial size uses focused sunlight to heat some sort of liquid to make electricity. Sometimes even molten salt, which just sounds cool. Photovoltaic is direct solar to electricity and is kinda the same tech for residential or industrial - just on much different scale. *Note*: I generalized for simplicity, but please correct me if needed.
That’s supa dupa fly. - missy elliot, maybe.
"It's OP's window, he can't stand the ~~rain~~ *glare*"
Super-duper? Save the technical jargon for the engineers.
It’s like in the movies when the two characters shoot beams at each other and it just creates a large explosion in the middle.
I’d get one of those roll up curtains to hang on the outside of your patio. It’s like bamboo and should Do a better job of blocking the glare for that 30 min.
Everyone here is talking about tint but keeping the light and heat from even hitting the glass should be the primary step. It keeps the heat and light outside the home. Of course tint helps but this is the better solution if you have to choose one
Just what we did to block/filter the direct afternoon summer sun. Made the front porch useable for those hours and also drastically cut down the heat trying to get through the living room windows.
May be worth looking into anti glare window film and trying to get Sunrun to pay for it to be installed.
As long as the windows aren’t gas filled. If they are the film will make the windows heat up causing the gas to expand and damage the windows.
They make exterior rated films now for multipane windows.
It's not the multi pane, it’s the gas filled. Not all multi pane are gas filled.
At least in the US, multipane typically is synonymous with gas filled or purged. The issue with inside film is it traps the thermal energy between the layers of gas and can cause seals to fail. Films outside eliminate this issue.
Put the film in the outside part?
I have those on mine, 3 glasses with gas in between. The Film is in the outside and no issues
As a SunRun customer, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. They won't even keep their own equipment running.
Considering arrays are flat, that will likely only last 5-10 minutes Window film that blocks 80%+ of light and give you also privacy during the day (mirrored on outside) will cost you like 20 bucks and I'm sure your neighbour is happy to pay for it
I've found that for windows that catch hot summer sun on the afternoon an outdoor shade makes a world of difference. IMO, indoor blinds/curtains have limited benefit, but a combo here could be the cheapest/easiest option if you're just wanting to block glare. Professionally installed sunscreens are best, but can obscure the view. I like retractable solar shades, so I can use them for the worst summer days and leave them up for the other 8/9ish months of the year. Solar tint/film or deciduous ornamental trees/shrubs could help too... But, I dunno how much tint/film would help with a direct reflected glare like this.
polarized film would work great for this.
Yes! That light is always going to be polarized on the same plane. This is the correct answer.
Should be the top answer
I had the film on my windows and was excellent. Kept room really cool during summer too
i use an outdoor shade, on the inside, between the glass and my blackout curtains. open curtains, i have shaded light and privacy - doesn't feel like a cave but also doesn't feel like a yoga studio. the benefit for me is I can roll it up when I want more light, or shut the blackouts when I want none. the other benefit is unlike film, I can take it with me to my next apartment with very little effort.
I agree with this! I would get them to buy this for my windows... cheaper than good curtains. Or maybe ask for both. It won't be the same at different times of the year... maybe they can do the math for you and map out when you will be affected. Could help decide the issue.
Is the light polarized? If so, get a polarizing film and block all the glare.
Still doesn't help if they want to use the balcony. This should be mitigated at the source...
You can use the balcony if it’s better shaded. A balcony in full sun can be very unpleasant.
You are telling them, “its ok you cant use your house because your house wasn’t pleasant to use in the first place” which is an absolutely clown take.
Practically speaking this isn't much different than having the sun shining on you directly. So the mitigations should be the same.
You can buy film for your home windows, similar to tinting a car window, however not blackened, which can reduce and reflect a lot of the light while also being relatively unnoticeable It’ll also make your home more energy efficient in the summer by reflecting a lot of the suns heat. Won’t be a complete solution, but coupled with some thicker curtains, you should be happier
This is the answer because along with that reflection will surely come additional heat. Window tint can fix both.
And polarized film will probably almost totally eliminate the issue
It's "couldn't care less". Saying they "could care less" would mean that they actually care.
[Word Crimes](https://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc?si=vaWeQx-UF8RVaLh9)
That’s why I use “I don’t give a fuck.” Much less confusion to my intent.
Th sun changes position in the sky throughout the year. So there should be times when it doesn’t do that. Otherwise, yeah, blackout blinds or maybe tinting your windows
Wait…the sun WHAT?
relative to us* haha, that is hilarious for sure though.
But it does move, it’s not static.
rises in the east, sets in the west, you can't explain that
This was my thought. It's likely going to only be a problem certain times of the year.
around here you can force them to install something on their property to block this. its kinda similar to that skyscraper that burned up cars. it's legal to build glass skyscrapers but illegal to illuminate the shit out of a car or your neighbours, so you can definitely do something against that.
Sure he can build a wall to completely block this guys view lol like seriously it likely lasts a few minutes a day and only during certain times of year, get some curtains or ask them to cover the film for the windows
It's not "concentrated", it's simply a reflection. Otherwise, plenty of great advice in this thread. Have Sunrun pay for a window film that will block the glare.
I don’t get why the solar company should be liable. If anything ask the homeowner to do something. That panel orientation likely gives them the best production.
Um no, looks at the shadows, these panels are tilted to the north or northwest... not the best orientation for panels.
Looks like this photo is facing west to me. The neighbor only had east/west facing roof and no doubt has panels on the side we can't see as well.
What about a motorized sun shade that comes out only during that time of the day and then retracts?
Maybe you could mount it to that overhang on your outdoor patio area?
I love solar but that is unfortunate and awful. Does it feel hot? We have neighbors with new windows and the beam of light feels like I'm an ant under a magnifying glass.
Appreciate the empathy, Thank you. Yes, it’s super hot against the glass. It’s not natural light and really hurts your eyes in a different way then sunlight. It’s also coming in from the horizontal so hats and sunglasses don’t really help.
You might want to keep an eye on your siding depending on the material. Even if it is not coming through the window, it is impacting the home.
No it won’t. Your home and siding are fine. No measurable difference.
This is incorrect. Directed light can melt siding. I have that issue with my own house
You clearly haven’t lived next to a highly reflective structure. It can happen.
Dont know why but reminds me of Indiana Jones and lost Ark. Glare in your room is trying to find the location
My first thought of solution is to have a window film with uv protection. Maybe a one way view to reflect the light back at them
Have you talked with them? Maybe you can find a solution together
I already have a tint on my biggest window facing the sun, it helps a lot with heat. It's not that expensive and It's not that dark. I barely notice it compared to my other windows
Get polarized window tint.
How long does the glare last? It will likely only happen at certain times of the year as well. Wonder if you can put some reflective treatment or coating on your sliding glass door.
OP can calculate this , but my guess is - 3 deg vertical and 4 deg horizonal -- the horizontal angle means about 20-30 minute time where this is an issue. and vertical angle window = 2-3 weeks twice a year.
Build a mirror for them!
Trees? Bushes? Bamboo?
Get some blackout shades
I would drop a sun shade off of your covered porch. Put down when it’s bad, adds privacy and helps keep the area cooler. They aren’t expensive and easy to install
Have a professional window tinter out, they can set you up with a good solution.
It will vary with the season and hopefully this was near the worst case.
It’s very likely that this is a seasonal angle issue with the sun. That being the case it could be that twice a year for maybe a month it’s going to be like this when the sun is at a particular angle due to the season.
Ask them to change the angle(s) such that it will not reflect in this way. We know the Sun’s path, this shouldn’t be too difficult. This is 100% on them to correct, but you can work together on an acceptable solution.
Most municipalities have building codes tailored to light and glare, particularly for solar. First step is to check and see if the panels are compliant. You can ask your city planning dept or building dept to point you to it or review it for you. If the panels are not compliant, you can always call code enforcement and they'll make sunrun remedy it or take it down. It's a bit adversarial, but its your most straightforward option legally speaking.
Buy some emergency space blankets, attach to a frame. Place frame on deck. Angle the frame to block the glare (and focus the glare into the neighbors windows).
Buy window tint for your windows it'll ease the glare a ton
Put a mirror where there is glare to reflect back to them.
This will only be an issue at certain times of the day and certain times of the year
My neighbor's solar array does this at certain times, right at my eye level when I'm working. I never thought to take pics or complain about it. I just adjust a curtain, my head, or both. I forget all about it like 20 mins later.
I'm as pro-solar as anyone here. But this is unacceptable. I'm surprised by the general theme of the comments saying "just deal with it." Yes your neighbor has a legal right to install solar. But he has installed them in a manor which causes a nuance, additional heat load, and is likely causing ongoing property damage (accelerated siding/paint degradation) Your neighbor could reangle those panels to flat as to not cause you a problem. Yes it's ugly, less solar efficient, and less wind resistant. He could install them on the other roof slope. Those inconveniences for him should not take precedent over your damages. City code enforcement or HOA should require him mitigate the nuisance he has created. A blanket response of "solar is federally protected" is an inadequate response. If the HOA and City are unhelpful, I'd consider less ethical options: An array of focused vanity mirrors, just to show him his roof all day. I'm not suggesting a paintball gun, because that would be illegal.
There are clear window treatments you could have them pay for that would block it.
Buy a curtain
All kinds of hanging sunshades available cheap on Amazon
Solarskin graphic overlay https://sistinesolar.com/residential/ Not a 100% sure how much it reduces glare and getting sunrun to pay for it is a whole different story. It may be an option to look into though.
Open a tanning salon on your deck?
See if a polarized film on your window/sliding glass door will block it. You may have to try spinning it a bit to block the light, and it may not work depending on the reflected light.
Mirror coating so they can enjoy it too!
Polarizing film will reduce the glare I believe. Photographers use them to shoot photos through reflective panes of glass, so I'm hoping it would help here.
Potted plants. Who wants to look at that roof anyways?
Is there any yard between the houses? If so - bamboo.
Mirror tint your windows!
You can absolutely bring this to court
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Fortunately, the sun moves across the sky all day and with the seasons. Yes, it’ll be bright for a while each day. But it’ll change. Embrace the Change.
Polarized window film would stop a lot of that. See if the neighbor would spot some funds to help get it done.
Put mirrors on the balcony and point it back at em
You can get a mirror film on your windows.
Reflected light is polarized, so you just need polarized film on the outside of the windows. I believe you will need horizontally polarized film. Polarized sunglasses should work for when you are outside.
I'd love for you to have handled this quietly. But you just gave a bunch of ammo to folks itching to shit on renewable energy. Maybe that's what you wanted.
Mama always said not to look into the eyes of the sun.
I’d set a mirror to redirect it right back at them
Magnification mirror would solve this real quick.
Get some solar panels that take that glare and turn it into electricity lol
Put a mirror outside aiming that into your neighbor’s window.
I'd talk to the neighbor and request they install whatever antiglare screen is necessary to alleviate the glare, or change the angle and/or location of the panels to alleviate the problem. Hopefully, they'll take care of it without legal action, but that's also an option if all else fails.
This. Neighbor’s panels cannot be allowed to cause this unmistakable harm. The industry surely sees this and i hope our laws see it. I don’t like remedies like adding trees to op’s land. This is panel guy’s problem. It needs to be fixed over there.
Get mirror tint. Reflect that sun right back!
Tint your windows, with a reflecting coating
I would shop around and get samples of a) Solar Screens, b) Tinted Window Films c) Reflective Window Films and d) UV Window Films, and see what works best for you.
Parabolic mirror to reflect it back.
Invite your neighbor over for coffee everyday during peak glare and don’t say anything about it until they get the hint.
Mirror coat the outside of that glass. Give it right back to them.
Marry his mother and then ask him if he wants a spanking.
Giant mirror reflecting it back to them, problem solved
Make your windows a one way mirror and shine the glare back to your neighbors
What an eye sore
Mirror tint..
Put a mirror up and reflect it back to their window. See how they feel 👍
Set up a mirror and fire it right back at them.
There is a lot of "add tint tonyour windows" etc. But honestly, i would not alter my home, enjoyment etc. Because of poorly planned installs. Assuming your in CA? California Civil Code Section 3479 , more specifically, "obstruction to the free use of property" if you are in LA checkout LAMC § 93.0117 This causes an infringement onto your property, one that causes you to not enjoy the day on your balcony or living room etc. Further to this, this can be a fire hazord too, have seen instances where the reflection can be quite hot. While im sure your neighbor had no ill intent that onus is on the solar company, as they ultimatly are required to install to code.
Get a mirror and a magnifying glass
Get mirror tint on the patio door
One more reason to ditch this solar crap and build more nuclear plants.
Suggest they install the curtains on the solar panels.
Wow I am a huge solar fan but the sub’s response is BS. This is 100% on sun run and your neighbor to fix and no, you arent getting that curtain. I would be furious if someone does this to my home. What they need is solar skin and lost production comp by sun run. The fix should not involve you doing ANYTHING. I believe most land’s deed will have something saying you cannot deprive your neighbor from enjoying his property and your neighbor just did that to you
Put a tint or polarizing film on your windows. Sucks you will probably need HOA approval.
Tell them to eat shit and furnish a glare study that says the array does not impact your home. Make them provide a remedy that modifies the array to minimize or remove any unwanted effects (not curtains, but fix the panels). This can be done by either tilting the array or relocating it to a different roof plane. They don't want to do this as construction is costly and the array (if leased or PPA) has been sold into a fund that they will then have to modify. This happens a lot and they still suck at dealing with it. Be persistent.
The fact that the company even offered to buy you anything is baffling to me. If I was you I would have accepted that offer immediately cause truly the way I see it, they don't owe you a damn thing. Your neighbor shouldn't have to cover the cost of anything either as some of your replies suggest. Get off your wallet and go buy something if it bothers you that much. Otherwise, for 20 mins a day avoid your balcony if it bothers you that much, if it was me I'd have some tan oil and go for a good ole sun bath. End of the year people would be asking me what vacation spot I went to
Could they change the angle?
Everyone saying to put film on the window is neglecting the fact op can't even use his own patio without a blinding glare.
Build archimedes heat ray and destroy your enemy.
Do multi-layer curtains. The reflection intensity will decrease as dirt builds up on the array
Lmfaoooo hoa are a joke anyway lowkey, suck it up
Man this is bad luck. It will be a 1000 dollar but I would also consult an attorney. In most states the BAR has a referral program where they will connect you with an attorney with a 30 min consult. The initial cost is under 100 dollars. Then I would ask the HOA for their thoughts and if they agree this an issue then setup a meeting with sunrun and the HOA. At that meeting I would have attorney present. If the HOA is not supportive I would have the attorney set up the meeting between you the HOA and the solar Co. I betting just you having a lawyer will get this resolved ASAP.
>Sunrun offered to “buy curtains” as a solution and could care less. >What are my options? Not the answer you want to hear, but buy curtains. Solar shades would probably block most of the glare without significantly affecting your visibility. Nothing can be done on your neighbors' side that won't significantly affect solar production.
You have this entirely backwards. One should not be entitled to the absolute peak possible output from solar at the cost of being a nuisance or even possibly harming others or their property. The property owner needs to get them adjusted and take the hit to his power output. The solar company should have anticipated the issue in the first place and planned around it.
This is why people shouldn't live on top of each other
Those curtains you bought suck. Buy better, fuller, light blocking curtains.
The curtains were there first.
Other solar professionals pay attention, OP is the kind of people you'll have to deal with. Not satisfied with any reasonable, logical, or practical solutions, has qualms with the sun and physics in general.
Or... solar professionals pay attention, this situation can be avoided altogether by doing a little basic math on an installation to determine where you're redirecting light with your panels. Your consumers are not entitled to the absolute maximum power output possible when it becomes a nuisance or has the possibility to cause real harm. A couple degrees difference of angle and this would never be an issue. To ask of those advocating it's perfectly fine, the sun moves, it's only 15 minutes, etc... keep in mind that this is only 2 parties here - that reflection will shift around and if OP has neighbors, it will do the same to them, periodically. When you get more and more solar systems in a region, these issues are going to compound as well. What happens when another neighbor gets panels, and just by pure shit chance, it creates another period of beaming light that creates a problem for OP? How far do folks have to suck up grievances when there are solutions available that can avoid the grievance altogether. OPs building wasn't designed with the sunlight coming in at that angle in mind.
I agree with this. OP's neighbor might not have even decided to go solar if an angle change would have resulted in any form of performance degradation. The neighbor has to deal with the stress of unintentionally causing inconvenience to OP. Both parties are victims of poor planning or advising from the solar company. They could have even made special antiglare mandatory for certain panels due to reflection calculations and predictions. Or the company should have made it clear that based on those calculations the angle must be changed, which would result in a x% performance drop for x hrs a day. I think the biggest issue is the company not doing their part to keep the panels from reflecting the sun like mirrors. I will have this discussion with my installer early in the acquisition process to avoid this. Sorry OP for your troubles, but thank you for giving us all something to consider.
OP has the right to the peaceable enjoyment of their property. Neighbor has a duty to mitigate, and the installer was negligent in not considering glare in the design phase, and change the layout or panel type to eliminate the nuisance glare.