Elmhurst Holds Off On Solar Rules

ELMHURST, IL – Members of an Elmhurst committee on Monday agreed to hold off on requiring builders to accommodate solar panels in new homes.

They were addressing a request from four aldermen who asked the city to enact regulations to ensure easy installation of panels.

At a meeting, aldermen on the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee said any rules imposed now would probably become outdated in a few years. That's because of the fast-changing nature of the solar industry, they said.

"Getting solar-ready may be premature," Alderwoman Marti Deuter said. "The industry has not evolved enough to know what installations will look like in the future."

Alderwoman Jennifer Veremis agreed. She said she wanted to wait to see what the state does and possibly review the issue in a year.

During public comments, architect John Belcher of Elmhurst-based JMB Architects said the city should consider the aesthetics of solar panels in its regulations.

"How a house looks is so important in this town," he said.

Elmhurst homebuilder Dave McKenna said, "I would lean heavily on what the state does."

The four aldermen requesting consideration of solar rules were Mike Brennan, Chris Jensen, Jacob Hill and Rex Irby.