City Weighs New Regulations After 'Solar Monster' Complaints

BEVERLY, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts couple's large solar array, dubbed the Solar Monster by critics, will be allowed to remain, but city officials are weighing rules to prevent others from building anything similar.

Beverly residents who live near the 20-panel pole-mounted array have complained about its size and the noise it makes as it adjusts itself to better catch the sun's rays. Councilor Don Martin nicknamed it the Solar Monster, after Fenway Park's Green Monster.

The Salem News reports the city is considering regulations that would put size limits on ground-mounted solar arrays and prevent them from being placed in front yards.

Homeowners Lola and Richard Eanes' existing array would not be subject to the new rules. The couple compares it to other neighborly nuisances, like loud air conditioning units.

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