Rapides Parish, Louisiana solar ordinance
Solar: 100 ft from property lines, 100 ft from roads, 16 ft (rotating panels, from ground to top of torque tube) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 29, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
10 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackAll photovoltaic solar panels and support structures associated with a facility (excluding perimeter security fencing) shall be set back a minimum of 100 feet from public roads and neighboring immovable property boundaries. | 100 ft |
Road setbackAll photovoltaic solar panels and support structures associated with a facility (excluding perimeter security fencing) shall be set back a minimum of 100 feet from public roads and neighboring immovable property boundaries. | 100 ft |
Maximum heightrotating panels, from ground to top of torque tubeAll photovoltaic panels located in a facility with rotating panels shall be restricted to a maximum height of the torque tube to 16 feet measured from the ground to the top of the torque tube. | 16 ft |
Maximum heightnon-rotating (fixed) photovoltaic panels, from ground to top of panelFacilities that have non-rotating (fixed) photovoltaic panels shall be limited to a maximum photovoltaic panel height of 18 feet measured from the ground to the top of the photovoltaic panel. | 18 ft |
Maximum heightlight poles near perimeter(k) Lighting: All lighting must be shielded from nonparticipating landowners' adjoining immovable property and light poles are restricted to a maximum height of 18 feet near the perimeter of the property. | 18 ft |
Fence height(e) Safety/Access: A minimum eight-foot security fence (height and material to be established through the solar farm permit process) shall be placed around the entire perimeter of the facility | 8 ft |
Minimum lot size(a) Minimum lot size: A facility shall not be constructed on aggregate parcels of immovable property that are less than 20 acres in size. | 20 acres |
Noise limitat the perimeter of the facility(h) Noise: The facility shall not exceed 50-75 dBA as measured at the perimeter of the facility. | 50 dBA |
Noise limitat the perimeter of the facility(h) Noise: The facility shall not exceed 50-75 dBA as measured at the perimeter of the facility. | 75 dBA |
Decommissioning bondminimum requiredCredit shall be given for salvage value of the equipment and such credit may be subtracted from the estimated decommissioning cost but under no circumstances may the performance guarantee be less than $500,000.00 even if the salvage value of the equipment exceeds the estimated decommissionin | $500,000 |
Source: Rapides Parish ordinance (PDF), read September 29, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Louisiana state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Louisiana rules and counties.
State siting: Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy (formerly Department of Energy and Natural Resources)
Threshold is in acres, not MW: a solar facility of 75 acres or more needs a state permit, on top of parish rules.
La. R.S. 30:1142 to 30:1145 (Act 279 of 2025). Source
Every Louisiana figure in one spreadsheet
59 figures from 8 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Louisiana state law.
How these figures were read
We found Rapides Parish'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 Rapides Parish, LA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft from roads and 100 ft from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Rapides Parish, LA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 16 ft (rotating panels, from ground to top of torque tube), 18 ft (non-rotating (fixed) photovoltaic panels, from ground to top of panel) and 18 ft (light poles near perimeter). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Rapides Parish, LA?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 20 acres. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.