Solar Energy

The city's unified development ordinance addresses solar power plants and accessory solar energy systems, providing approval and design standards for both, but prohibits solar panels on landmarked buildings. It lists solar power plants as conditional uses in agricultural, single-family residential, and planned industrial zoning districts, with a minimum lot size of 20 acres and minimum setback of 100 feet (§9.05.A.11.a).

Roof-mounted solar energy systems are permitted with a minor site plan as accessory uses in all districts; free-standing or wall-mounted systems require a conditional use permit and major site plan (Table 9.1). The code also provides standards for solar energy systems mounted on flat roofs (§9.57.C.1) and pitched roofs (§9.57.C.2), and for solar shingles (§9.57.C.2.c), which are encouraged over PV panels; solar panels may not be installed on landmarked buildings (§9.57.C.1.a). It provides additional standards for conditional-use freestanding solar energy systems (§9.57.D).

In Neighborhood Residential Districts, lot designs should be oriented to allow for passive solar design, with longer walls along an east-to-west axis (§9.07.B.4.d.iv.3).

The unified development ordinance also provides definitions for a number of solar energy-related terms (§11.02).