The Christenson’s letter:
Dear City Councilors:
We have learned that you as a member of the Iowa City Council may be considering expanding opportunities for solar energy for your constituents. We lived in Iowa City for more than 10 years and several times looked into the possibility of installing solar panels at our property in the Longfellow neighborhood. Because of the proximity of neighbor residences and mature trees, solar was never a viable option. We are now in a senior residence in Coralville, but our son and his wife own our previous home. They would welcome the opportunity to join a ‘community solar’ project as would a number of their neighbors with whom we have spoken.
As widely reported on the Internet, the advantages of community solar include
- Avoiding trees, roof size or orientation, and/or other configuration limitations, adjacent buildings, and other factors which may reduce power output.
- Avoiding building codes, zoning restrictions, homeowner association rules, and aesthetic concerns.
- Reduced maintenance requirements.
- Reduced installation costs.
We ask you to please look favorably on this opportunity to move Iowa City to a more sustainable position and to be a model for other Iowa communities.