To expand its audience,
Renewable Energy Subcommittee
member Christopher Kerr recently
started a Facebook group, Solar
in Shaker, for residents who have
questions about the process and its
benefits, just as he did. His house is
solar, and his story addresses many of
the questions homeowners often have:
Will it save me money? How long will
it take? Will it work on my roof? What
permissions do I need?
Kerr began by researching solar
on the internet. Then he reached out
to several solar installers, who told him
his house was not a good candidate.
Digging deeper, Kerr realized that they
were looking at outdated online maps
that showed trees that were no longer
there. After a friend addressed that
problem with a drone company, Kerr’s
next challenge was to understand what
his savings were going to be and what
the timing was. Most important: Would
the City allow it? He found that there
is no prohibition against solar panels
in Shaker Heights, either on the roof
or on the front of the house facing the
street, which was done recently for a
house on Shaker Boulevard.
“We were ready to go forward
with a company we liked,” says Kerr,
“but they couldn’t deal with the slate.”
He found another installer, a Cleveland
company called YellowLite, which has
a person on staff who works exclusively with slate.
As do all professional installers, they took care
of the permitting and submissions to the City’s
Architectural Board of Review (ABR).
And Kerr emphasizes that installing solar is
best done as part of an overall plan to reduce
energy use. This includes insulation and air
sealing, which will lower costs as well as the
number of solar panels you need – which lowers
the cost even more.
Renewable
Energy
Subcommittee
member
Christoper Kerr
with his home’s
solar panel
installation.
Photo: Angelo
Merendino
Find more information about rooftop solar at
shakeronline.com/635/Resources-for-Residents.
Homeowners can also switch their electricity supply to 100 percent
renewable, regardless of whether they have solar. Visit energychoice.ohio.gov
or call the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council at 855-667-3201.
38 SPRING 2021 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
/Resources-for-Residents
/energychoice.ohio.gov
/WWW.SHAKER.LIFE