Commissioners Discuss Solar Panel Ordinance

The Haverford Township Board of Commissioners and a member of the Haverford Township Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) discussed the issue of a solar panel ordinance.

The ordinance, called P1-2012 and is attached to this article as a PDF, was presented by Assistant Township Manager Lori Hanlon-Widdop, who said that the ordinance would provide standards for those who want to install solar panels to their homes, such as where the panels would be placed on the property (it could not be allowed in the front yard for example).

Jane Hall, the new 3rd Ward commissioner, was concerned about the aesthetics of the solar panels. 

Hall also mentioned that she was concerned that solar panels may give off a glare that could be distracting to neighbors and drivers.

But solar panels are designed to absorbed sunlight and are not as reflective as bay windows, Jan Marie Rushforth, a member of the township’s EAC and co-owner of the Rushforth Solar LLC, explained. Hanlon-Widdop also said that blocking solar panels from public view had been considered.

However, Hall, a realtor by profession, was concerned about the aesthetics of the solar panels and how they might affect the township. Rushforth insisted that aesthetics would not play a part in solar panels.

Township solicitor Jim Byrne did say that aesthetics would be considered if there is a safety concern.

The commissioners voted to table the ordinance until it could be taken back to the township’s Planning Commission and then brought up again to the commissioners during their Monday, Feb. 13 meeting, 2nd Ward Commissioner Mario Oliva explained to the Haverford-Havertown Patch.

During a break, Rushforth told Patch that she thinks the commissioners will eventually vote in favor of the ordinance, but was surprised by the line of questioning about solar panels.

“The new dynamics on the board raised some interesting questions,” she commented, but adding that she thought it was great that so many of the commissioners raised concerns about solar panels.