Arlington Heights approves rules for solar panels

Regulations for solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling are advancing in Arlington Heights, but wind turbines still will require special zoning variances.

The village board gave preliminary approval this week to amendments to the zoning code for environmentally friendly ways to capture energy.

Mayor Arlene Mulder asked Planning & Community Development staff to consult environmentalists in the community before the new rules are finalized.

William Enright, deputy director of Planning & Development, said staff researched online and consulted with HarneTech, a solar energy company in downtown Arlington Heights, in preparing the recommended rules.

But a representative of the Cool Cities Program, a clean energy initiative of Sierra Club, told the board that the group had not been aware of the proposed zoning code amendments, which had been the subject of a Plan Commission hearing.

Proposed regulations include:

Ÿ Angled rooftop solar systems can reach up to 5 feet above the top of the roof to capture the most sun. Wall panels will be allowed only on the side or rear walls in residential areas, but could be on any wall in commercial districts except the downtown.

A single free-standing solar panel of not more than 200 square feet and no taller than 15 feet will also be allowed in back yards, with 15-foot setbacks required.

Trustee Bert Rosenberg questioned the aesthetics of back yard installations, but Enright said they are smaller than allowable sheds, and most solar panels will go on roofs to keep them above trees.

Currently only panels that lie flat against the roof are permitted without variances, and the only requirement for them is a building permit.

ŸGeothermal installations — long pipes installed below the frost line that carry liquid at a constant temperature through a home or business to provide heat or cooling — will be allowed in front and backyards.

ŸWind turbines will be allowed only with land use variations. Enright said there have been no requests for turbines, and the only one he knows of in the village is at Thomas Middle School. Elementary District 25 is exempt from zoning regulations, he said.

The Plan Commission recommended against permitting wind turbines on grounds of aesthetics and noise.

Trustee Carol Blackwood said she is the only member of the village board who supports wind turbines, especially small ones on commercial buildings.