Mercer County, Illinois solar ordinance
Solar: 100 ft (non-residential area) from homes. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Setback from homesnon-residential areaImproved areas shall be at least 100 feet from any residence or church, measured from the principle building in a non-residential area. | 100 ft |
Setback from churchnon-residential areaImproved areas shall be at least 100 feet from any residence or church, measured from the principle building in a non-residential area. | 100 ft |
Setback from churchresidential areaImproved areas shall be 50 feet from a residence or church, measured from the property line in a residential area. | 50 ft |
Fence height“Fence” means a con tinuous barrier extending from the surface of the ground to a uniform height of not less than six (6) feet from the ground at any given point | 6 ft |
Source: Mercer County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Illinois state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Illinois rules and counties.
Limits on local rules
Counties cannot ban commercial solar in agricultural or industrial zones and cannot set standards stricter than the state's.
55 ILCS 5/5-12020 (Public Act 102-1123). Source
Solar standards in state law
Counties may adopt these standards but nothing stricter.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 50 ft |
| Public roads | 50 ft |
| Panel height at full tilt | 20 ft |
| Noise | IPCB limits |
55 ILCS 5/5-12020 (Public Act 102-1123). Source
Every Illinois figure in one spreadsheet
157 figures from 23 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus Illinois state law.
How these figures were read
We found Mercer County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Mercer County, IL?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (non-residential area) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.