Title
Install a Roof Mounted Photovoltaic Solar System on a Principal Building (B)
Petition HP-19-00056. Randall Wilhoit, Solar Impact, Inc., agent for Wesley Jones. Install a roof mounted photovoltaic solar system on a single-family house. Located at 1114 NE 6th Street. This building is contributing to the Northeast Residential Historic District.
Explanation
The applicant is proposing to install a 7.04kW photovoltaic system on the roof, with black framed modules with black racking to be placed on the east, west, and south facing roof surfaces of the principal structure. The modules are to be installed in the same plane as the roof and conduit will be run through the attic to maintain a clean appearance.
The existing house is a one-story, Ranch style house dating back to 1953, with architectural details such as casement windows and a strong horizontal emphasis which was characteristic of buildings in the period after World War II. The house is a typical Ranch with a very low pitched roof and a broad rambling facade. According to the Florida Master Site File, the house at 1114 NE 6th Street retains its essential form and integrity. The house has a masonry structural system, stem wall foundation, block exterior fabric, a chimney on the rear roof slope, and casement windows.
Roofs are a highly visible component of historic buildings and are an integral part of a building’s overall design and architectural style. A rooftop solar photovoltaic power system is a system that uses one or more photovoltaic panels installed on the surface of a roof, either parallel to a sloped roof/surface or rack-mounted on a flat roof, to convert sunlight into electricity and is ten kw or less for residential structures and 300 kw or less for nonresidential structures. The proposed power system will be placed on the principal structure on the property which is a single-family dwelling. The building is considered a contributing structure in the Northeast Residential Historic District.
The system will be located in a location that affects the primary roof facade elevation. The installation will not result in the permanent loss of significant character-defining features of a historic resource, such as existing roof lines or dormers; the installation will be reversible; the system will be flush to the roof or low profile, to the extent feasible; and the system will blend into the surrounding features of the historic resource to the extent possible.
Recommendation
Staff to the Historic Preservation Board - Approve Petition HP-19-00056 with the following conditions:
1. The solar panels and mounting systems should be compatible in color to the extent possible with the established roof material to limit visibility.
2. Notify staff of any changes during installation.