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Local Solar Regulations

Learn more about the Local Solar Regulations found in your Transect Report.

It’s essential for developers to understand a solar project’s setback, zoning, and permit requirements in local jurisdictions. Transect simplifies this process by providing a preliminary assessment of the required local permits and regulations, saving developers time and providing a central location for all state, federal, and local permits.

Local Solar Regulations only appear if your Project Type is Renewable Energy Generation and your Project Subtype is Solar. They will not appear if your Project Subtype is Mixed Use or Battery Storage, or anything else other than Solar. Storage and wind projects often have unique regulations that are not covered in the current release.

In this article, we’ll review the:

Key Features of Local Solar Regulations

Local Solar Regulations (LSR) enable solar developers to quickly determine which county-level ordinances apply to their solar projects. Local Solar Regulations covers:

  • Solar-Related Permits: LSR identifies permits you might need, often called "conditional use" or "special use" permits.
  • Setbacks: Find out how far your solar farm needs to be from roads, homes, power lines, railroad lines, and property boundaries.
  • Size Limits: Learn about restrictions on the height of solar arrays and the overall acreage or capacity of your solar project.
  • Zoning Information: Determine which zoning categories (like agricultural, commercial, or industrial) allow solar farm construction.
  • Solar Moratoriums: LSR includes information on any temporary bans on solar development, similar to what you'd find in Solar Pulse.
  • Contact Information: Get phone numbers or email addresses for the county or the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to verify information or ask questions.

For questions about our current coverage, please contact support@transect.com. 

Viewing Local Solar Regulations in your Transect Report

You can view the Local Solar Regulations found in your report by selecting Permit Matrix from the left-side navigation. On this page, you’ll be shown the solar regulations for your area of interest. 

If a local solar regulation is found within your AOI, you’ll receive information about at least one of the following regulations: Permits, Setbacks, Size Limits, or Zoning Information. 

Moratoriums

If a Moratorium is active in your area of interest, a red banner will appear at the top of the Permit Matrix. A summary of the moratorium will also be displayed at the top of the Local Permits section.

Permits

This section highlights the jurisdiction’s required solar permits—including Special Use, Conditional Use, Major Use, Minor Use, Solar, Use, Land Use, and Zoning— and will include links to the relevant source material. 

Setbacks

This section indicates the distance required for solar projects to be from roads, housing, transmission lines, railroad lines, etc. (as mandated by the AHJ) to ensure safety and prevent interference. These setbacks are typically specified in local zoning regulations.

Size Limits

This section provides any height restrictions of solar arrays or the total acreage or capacity of the installation. These limits are designed to address concerns about visual impact, property values, and environmental impacts.

Zoning Information

This section showcases the zones permitted for solar farm construction, including industrial or commercial zones, but may also be permitted in agricultural zones with certain conditions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does this data come from?

We first check publicly available online sources and official county websites. If we can't find what we need online, we'll try to contact the county directly. If we still can't get the information, we'll try again during the next update.

How should we approach inaccuracies in this data?

While our team thoroughly reviews the information we display for Local Solar Regulations, some inaccuracies may occur. In this case, we recommend providing feedback within the Permit Matrix: . Our team will review your feedback and may reach out to you for additional information.

How often is this data refreshed?

It depends on the source. If we are pulling the data from online codifiers, it will be refreshed monthly. If we are calling or emailing, it will be refreshed yearly.

What project types does this work for?

This model works specifically for local permits associated with solar projects. When running a report, you would select the project type as Renewable Energy Generation and the project sub-type as Solar.