One community in the area that has such restrictions is the Villages of Urbana.

Mark Johnson, chairman of the community’s Design Review Committee, said in an e-mail to The Gazette that the committee had not studied the legislation, and was not prepared to comment on it. He did say that the board would review guidelines with developer Natelli Communities and would ‘‘address the solar panel issue in conjunction with any federal and⁄or state legislation.”

According to assistant general manager Doug Seligson, Lake Linganore Association covenants do no prohibit or promote the use of solar power-generating hardware on Eaglehead at Lake Linganore homes.

‘‘The LLA covenants have never addressed the issue of solar power and⁄or the hardware required to generate it,” Seligson wrote in an e-mail.

He said that the Environmental Control Committee guidelines that regulate the design standards of homes and structures in Eaglehead also make no mention of solar technology. The guidelines grant latitude to the committee to approve the structures.

Despite this leeway, Seligson wrote that there has not been much interest in the Eaglehead development in solar power.

‘‘I can tell you that we have [had] few, if any, residents in the last year inquire about the installation of solar panels, so it has not really been an issue for the Eaglehead community as of yet,” Seligson said.

Solar powerin Frederick County

BP Solar, one of the world’s leading producers of photovoltaic solar cells, maintains its headquarters in Frederick.

According to BP Solar’s Web site, the Frederick area’s sunlight intensity – essential to the function of solar collectors – is rated very good.

However, the cost of solar energy, despite available tax cuts and rebates, may still be prohibitive to some residents.

According to the Web site, a ‘‘medium-sized system” which would produce 5-7 kilowatt hours, would retail for $51,000. The site estimated tax credits of $2,000 and rebates of $3,000, bringing the total cost of installation down to $46,000.

BP Solar also estimates that the installation of a solar collection system could generate 598 kilowatt hours per month, creating a monthly electric bill savings of $44 and yearly savings of $530 for a household with a monthly bill of $200-250. If financed through a home equity line of credit, there could also be a tax savings of $82 monthly and $988 annually, the site states.

BP Solar claims that a 6-kilowatt hour per month system would eliminate 10,305 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, also cutting 17.8 pounds of nitrogen oxide and 66.5 pounds of sulfate emissions annually. The site says the environmental impact of this system on reducing greenhouse gas emissions would be ‘‘equivalent to planting 2 acres of trees.”