La Grange Solar Rules Slammed; Changes Promised

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange's rules on solar panels are impractical for most houses, preventing residents from getting much of the savings, the Village Board was told Monday.

In response, village trustees promised to change the regulations.

At a Village Board meeting, trustees approved solar installations at houses in the 100 block of North Stone Avenue and the 700 block of South 11th Avenue. But those projects are scaled back because of the village's rules.

Michael Vimont, who lives in the 11th Avenue house, said the rules are "outdated and detrimental" to residents.

"It's extremely sad and disheartening that a panel of elected officials found solar panels ugly years ago, and now when we need them the most, the code is still in place with restrictions on installations," Vimont told the trustees.

Given the rules, he said solar panels are not viable for half of the houses on his block.

"You can lose out on 30 to 50 percent of solar production based on where the house is facing," Vimont said. "The cost of solar has a large payback time of seven to 10 years. Restricting the size of the system only increases the timeframe."

His sister, Vanessa Berry, said she researched other towns and that none of them have such restrictive rules. Those towns include Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Riverside and Oak Park, she said.

"The ordinance, as it is written now, prevents homeowners from fully benefitting from federal and state incentives and limits how much money they can save on their energy bills," Berry said.

Buffalo Grove-based Certasun is the contractor for both local solar projects. Kathleen Falk, who is with the company, said the village's rules discourage the adoption of solar energy.

The regulations, she said, were likely meant to promote aesthetics. But solar technology has improved, which means panels are not as obvious, she said.

Trustee Beth Augustine was among the trustees who called for changes to the village code.

"I've been on the board for six years, and I think this is the first time I've had to vote on a solar issue of this nature," she said. "It's not as if this has come before us a whole bunch."

The rules were likely written when solar panels were bulkier, Augustine said.

"For the most part, they are unnoticeable now," she said.

Last month, resident Maurice McGee, who lives in the 10 block of Sawyer Avenue, told trustees that the village rejected his original plan for solar panels. He called the rules antiquated.

At the time, Village President Mark Kuchler expressed an openness to change the regulations.