Twenty years ago my husband became obsessed with climate change and over population. He was concerned that the world would not be able to survive as water resources would be depleted and the world suffered through the impact caused by the changing climate. He started talking about the need to use the sun for energy and stop the use of fossil fuels. His focus was on solar panels and electric cars.
For his midlife crisis, he acted! Fifteen years ago, we ordered solar panels for our home. We became the first home in Johnson County, Kansas, to retrofit a private home to solar energy. It was quite an experience. We found a company to assess our home for the panels. A friend of ours worked at Black and Veatch, an engineering firm. She took the proposal to work, where several engineers reviewed it and made some suggestions. In the end we decided to put up ten solar panels, as well as add eight back up batteries.
It took a while to get everything ready. Permits were needed. The panels and batteries had to be ordered. The roof needed to be reinforced. The city inspector was at our home several times, climbing into the attic and checking the wiring through the house. She was quite excited to be part of this retrofit. Eventually the new rafters in the roof were approved; the electrical wiring was approved; the panels were put on the roof; and after months of anticipation the solar panels came online! It was exciting. Our neighbors came out to see the panels as well.
We had some issues at first with the electric company, KCP&L. Even though there had been some contact with them about the solar panels, it had not gone to the right people. We kept having KCP&L service people come out to check our meter, as it was going backwards. We were accused of turning it upside down! Who does that? People who do not want to pay, we were told. I kept showing them the solar panels and trying to figure out who we needed to talk to at KCP&L. Finally, a woman repair person arrived to once again accuse us of moving our meter. I took her to the back yard where she could see the solar panels on the roof. She had the aha moment and understood the issue. She promised to look into it.
Meanwhile, we wrote to our state senator, John Vratil, who was a great help. Through him, we got in touch with Dave Wagner at KCP&L. From there on the process got easier. Finally in August 2007, resolution of the issue occurred. First KCP&L installed two different meters on our house. One for incoming electricity and one for outgoing. On the day these two meters were put in, we had about 11 KCP&L staff coming out to help and watch the installation. They also put a special shut off level on the house and a commercial surge protector. It was really exciting for my husband and I, and for KCP&L.
Dave Wagner was one of the people who came out for the event, as well as a young woman from their media department. She took lots of photos, as did I, to document the occasion. My husband took several of the KCP&L personnel into our basement so that they could see the backup batteries! We explained that not only were our electric bills cheaper due to the solar energy, but also due to the panels capturing the ambient heat and keeping the house cooler.
We were actually highlighted in KCPL’s newsletter and were on the news…rather our house was in the newsletter and on the news. Eventually KCPL developed one meter that could track both in and out electricity, known as net metering.
For 14 years we lived happily in our house. When the power went out, we had electricity for eight important elements, including the refrigerator, the furnace fan, and lights in several rooms. During the spring, summer and fall, we saved at least $100 a month in electric bills. And during the brutally hot months of summer, even more!
Two years ago, we decided to downsize from our home of 35 years and move into smaller reverse two story villa. The one thing we did not count on was the HOA refusing to allow us to have solar panels, even with a rolling black out in the winter of 2021. There was a HOA meeting where the topic came up. Among the negative comments included that solar panels were ugly. Not so. They also did not know anything about the new technology. Supposedly there was to be a committee formed to discuss solar panels. Not…. The former president of our HOA, who has moved away, told us the only way we would get solar panels was to have the city or the county or the state removed that restriction from HOAs.
When we first moved to Johnson County in 1985, many HOAs demanded that all homes had to have wood roofs! What a joke. Each Fourth of July, and whenever there was a thunderstorm, some homes had roof fires. Around 1999 this clause eliminated from many homes associations due to Overland Park passing Ordinance No. BC-2167 which prohibited the enforcement on covenants which prevented homeowners from putting on composite shingle roofs! The community, and I believe the insurance companies, help make this change. Now very few homes still have wood roofs!
Johnson County’s ban on smoking in businesses and most public places were enacted on January 2, 2008. My husband, a pediatric allergist, was one of the people who testified at a commissioners’ meeting asking to enforce a ban on smoking. In March 2010, then Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed a law forbidding smoking in Kansas restaurants.
When the community came together, action occurred once again. We now can eat smoke free in any restaurant!
If citizens could make a change with these two issues: public smoking and wood shingle roofs, I am hoping that we can do it again. I encourage everyone who lives in Johnson County to write to the Johnson County Commissioners as well as their Kansas State Representatives and Senators to work for change.
Johnson County Commissioners are:
First District: Becky Fast. Jocogov.org/beckyfast
Second District: Jeff Meyers. Jeff.meyers@jocogov.org
Third District: Charlotte O’Hara. Charlotte.ohara@jocogov.org
Fourth District: Janee Hanzlick. Janee.hanzlick@jocogov.org
Fifth District: Michael Ashcraft. Michael.ashcraft@jocogov.org
Sixth District: Shirley Allenbrand. Shirley.allenbrand@jocogov.org
Together, perhaps we can make solar power and renewable energy an option throughout Johnson County, Kansas.
zicharonot 