Warren County, Iowa solar, wind and battery storage ordinance
Solar: 120 ft (non-participating properties) from property lines, 120 ft (abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building) from homes, 50 ft from roads. Wind: 1.5 × height (non-participating property) from property lines, 2.2 × height (abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building) from homes, 1.1 × height from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
9 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacknon-participating propertiesii. One hundred twenty (120) feet from any existing non-participating properties. | 120 ft |
Setback from homesabutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community buildingi. One hundred twenty (120) feet from any abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building. | 120 ft |
Road setbackiii. Fifty (50) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 50 ft |
Setback from overhead utility lineiii. Fifty (50) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 50 ft |
Setback from electric substationiii. Fifty (50) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 50 ft |
Setback from railroad right-of-wayiii. Fifty (50) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 50 ft |
Setback from unoccupied structureiii. Fifty (50) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 50 ft |
Maximum heightSolar panel(s) shall be at least two (2) feet off the ground and shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height at maximum tilt of the solar panel(s). | 20 ft |
Fence heightCommercial solar energy conversion systems shall be fenced with a minimum eight (8) foot tall security fence | 8 ft |
Source: Warren County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
9 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacknon-participating propertyii. One and five-tenths (1.5) times the total height of the system from any existing non-participating property. | 1.5 × height |
Setback from homesabutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community buildingi. Two and two-tenths (2.2) times the total height of the system from any existing abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building. | 2.2 × height |
Road setbackiv. One and one-tenth (1.1) times the height of the system from any public road right-of-way | 1.1 × height |
Setback from overhead utility lineiii. One and five-tenths (1.5) times the total height of the system from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 1.5 × height |
Setback from electric substationiii. One and five-tenths (1.5) times the total height of the system from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 1.5 × height |
Setback from railroad right-of-wayiii. One and five-tenths (1.5) times the total height of the system from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 1.5 × height |
Setback from unoccupied structureiii. One and five-tenths (1.5) times the total height of the system from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 1.5 × height |
Maximum heightThe maximum height of a commercial wind energy conversion system shall be seven hundred (700) feet. | 700 ft |
Noise limitabutting dwelling or community buildingAudible noise due to commercial wind energy conversion system site operations shall not exceed forty-seven (47) dBA for any period of time, from the commercial wind energy conversion system when measured at an existing abutting dwelling or community building. | 47 dBA |
Source: Warren County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Battery storage rules
8 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacknon-participating propertyii. Five hundred (500) feet from any existing non-participating property. | 500 ft |
Setback from homesabutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community buildingi. Two hundred feet (200) from any existing abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building. | 200 ft |
Road setbackiii. One hundred (100) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 100 ft |
Setback from overhead utility lineiii. One hundred (100) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 100 ft |
Setback from electric substationiii. One hundred (100) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 100 ft |
Setback from railroad right-of-wayiii. One hundred (100) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 100 ft |
Setback from unoccupied structureiii. One hundred (100) feet from any existing overhead utility line, electric substation, public road right-of-way, railroad right-of-way, or unoccupied structure. | 100 ft |
Fence heightAll commercial battery energy storage systems shall be enclosed by a minimum eight (8) foot tall security fence | 8 ft |
Source: Warren County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Iowa state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Iowa rules and counties.
State siting: Iowa Utilities Commission (formerly Iowa Utilities Board)
A plant of 25 MW or more needs a state certificate before construction.
Iowa Code 476A.1(5), 476A.2. Source
Limits on local rules
For plants of 25 MW or more, the state may issue its certificate even if the project does not meet county zoning; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Iowa Code 476A.5(3). Source
Every Iowa figure in one spreadsheet
114 figures from 17 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 3 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 8 moratoria and bans on file and Iowa state law.
How these figures were read
We found Warren 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 Warren County, IA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 120 ft (abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building) from homes, 120 ft (non-participating properties) from property lines and 50 ft from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Warren County, IA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Warren County, IA?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 2.2 × height (abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building) from homes, 1.5 × height (non-participating property) from property lines and 1.1 × height from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the battery storage setbacks in Warren County, IA?
The county's ordinance sets battery storage back 200 ft (abutting dwelling, occupied structure, or community building) from homes, 500 ft (non-participating property) from property lines and 100 ft from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.