Wealthy Chicago Suburb Bans Rooftop PVs; Says They are Too Ugly

The Chicago suburb of Kildeer will not grant permits to homeowners to add rooftop solar panels to their homes. The reason: They are too ugly.

The median home value exceeds half a million dollars in Kildeer. The village has many spacious lawns and tree-lined streets. Fences and aluminum siding are not allowed, and the village’s volunteer architectural committee told several residents that PVs are not an approved roofing material.

Several residents and solar developers are trying to convince officials to allow rooftop solar and draft guidelines regulating it. The building commissioner indicated that while solar shingles and ground-mounted solar would likely be acceptable, rooftop solar may not be in sync with the community’s image.

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