By Jenny Whidden | Daily Herald
Following a five-year effort led by residents, the Kildeer Village Board of Trustees unanimously adopted an ordinance Tuesday allowing the installation of rooftop solar panels.
In an attempt to stay true to its motto — “A Unique Village in a Natural Setting” — Kildeer had been one of the few Illinois municipalities to ban roof-mounted solar panels from residential buildings, the leading reason being aesthetics.
At the forefront of the charge to overturn the ban was an informal group of residents interested in solar power for both environmental and economical reasons. After garnering 115 signatures on an online petition and speaking at October’s board meeting, the group saw a favorable development last night when it voted 4-0 to adopt the new ordinance.
“Everybody was just extremely positive and respectful and said things very passionately, but in a very controlled way,” Zanillo said of the residents’ testimony to the board. “At the November meeting, we had a number of people in the audience just be there as a reminder that we haven’t forgotten about the issue. It all kind of led up to where we got to yesterday.”
The village continues to prohibit free-standing or ground-mounted solar energy systems, solar farms and solar gardens. Prior to the ordinance, residents could install only a generally pricier version of solar energy collection: integrated solar roofs, which are made of solar shingles that blend into a home’s appearance.
Read more here.
Related: “Kildeer’s aesthetic-based ban on solar panels: ‘The village has always been particular’”
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