Posted on 03/20/2007 1:13:26 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Town Official Defends Al Gore's Energy Inefficient House
Tuesday , March 20, 2007
AP BELLE MEADE, Tenn. Zoning rules in Al Gore's upscale Tennessee neighborhood have prevented the former vice president and environmental activist from installing solar panels on his roof.
Gore bought his multimillion dollar home in 2002 in Belle Meade, an exclusive city encircled by metropolitan Nashville, and he has embarked on an ambitious renovation. But his contractors ran into a legal barrier last summer when they sought to apply for a permit to install solar panels on the roof.
Terry Franklin, Belle Meade's building officer, said the town only allows power generating equipment to be placed on the ground level. "Solar panels are generators," Franklin said.
"We told them they couldn't do it," he said. "They wanted to try anyway, but we convinced them it was something the board wouldn't allow."
A conservative group that disputes the findings about global warming criticized Gore last month, complaining that his home uses too much electricity.
Belle Meade, the nation's fifth-richest town according to the 2000 Census, developed the zoning rules because many of its homes have backup electric generators. The area has several tall trees and residents have discouraged Nashville Electric Service crews from pruning those near power lines. Power outages from falling branches have forced several residents to purchase backup generators.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Well what would have prevented him from living in a 3,000 square foot house?
"The government forced him to live in an energy inefficient house! There's only one solution: More government!"
The scorn of his peers.
I am quite certain that if Al Gore insisted on solar panels all over his house and yard he would have no problem getting them, zoning restrictions or not.
So Al lied. I thought he said he had installed solar panels?
What zoning law could possibly exist that would prevent a home owner from installing solar panels on the roof?
Not in defense of Gore, it just seems stupid to me.
Solar panels NO. Zinc Mine YES. Makes perfect sense.
New tagline, dedicated to Algore...
Notice the label "environmental activist". The label is false. It should be changed to "opportunist making money scaring people over climate change".
That's classic. `Power generating equipment' may not be placed except on the ground level.
Windows admit sunlight. You could think of a window as a power generating device.
No windows except flat to the ground?
Solar panels are not diesel generators. There is no reason they ought not be on a roof, and very good reasons they should be. Kafka couldn't have made this up.
Wouldn't have met his standard of living, of course. He's much too important to live with such small quarters. He expects the sheople to give up their creature comforts instead.
I don't consider this story a defense for Al Gore. He is hypocritical to the nth degree.
Solar panels are not genarators, they are either power converters, or heat exchangers. They either convert light energy to electricity, or exchange infrared heat to a fluid or air. A generator is either a magnetic device to generator or a fancy name for a boiler or steam generator.
The roof, OK. But have you seen some of these monstrosities that are popping up in wealthy neighborhoods. The look like shiny billboards on hinges. For the first time in my life I'm looking at living in an Association, and I'll tell you what, that ban will be the first item on MY agenda.
Well, if he's going to walk the walk, he'll just have to move then - to a smaller dwelling that doesn't suck up tons of energy ( and that doesn't incude the bloviating coming from his big leftist mouth! Even I can figure that one out!
Actually they are banned in many communities, but not for the reasons mentioned. They are often banned because the residents think of them as tacky. Rich people don't need them.
Only his big fat ego.
If you pay a couple hundred thousand to have a couple of acres tastefully landscaped, the last thing you want is this crap looming from your neighbor's yard.
It is stupid, but there are lots of stupid zoning laws.
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