Should Las Mañanitas be Solar-Powered?
We are soliciting interested members to participate in a Solar Steering Committee.
There are sound reasons to consider solar power here in Las Mañanitas: $300,000 in annual utility cost, 350 days/year of sun and the declining costs of solar panels.
Of course, there are serious challenges that also must be considered: the upfront capital cost, the ongoing maintenance/repair/replacement cost; the fact that solar doesn't work at night or on heavily clouded days; and the operational issues of using solar to power the legacy electrical infrastructure. Further, Owners would have to be comfortable with the aesthetics of any installed panels and feel confident that they wouldn't become flying guillotines in hurricanes.
The Board and the Community Manager will be heavily involved in looking at the "business case" for any decision, but having a small group of interested owners on a "Solar Steering Committee" will help form a final proposal, if any. The final decisions are likely to be material enough to have all Owners vote. So, any proposal will need to present a compelling case.
Happily, five Owners have volunteered so far: Patricia Hammeken (3602), Jack van Slageren (3204), Myles Woloshyn (B1), Dr. Adrina Patterson (308) and Jeff Wood (B2). We'd like to get a couple others, especially from Phase III. Will you help? Use the contact us form or email David Alanis (manager@lasmananitascondos.com) and/or Wayne Willis (admin@lasmananitascondos.com) to volunteer. The first meeting is April 8th.
I drafted a "Charter for the Solar Steering Committee" that answers the anticipated questions volunteers might have. It will be refined as the Committee proceeds with its work.