Washington County, Maryland solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft (PI, AP districts adjacent to expressway/highway) from roads, 20 acres minimum lot, 55 dBA (measured from property line of adjacent dwelling) noise limit. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Road setbackPI, AP districts adjacent to expressway/highwayA front yard adjacent to an expressway or primary highway as shown on the Washington County Highway Plan shall be one hundred fifty (150) feet. | 150 ft |
Minimum lot sizeMinimum Lot Size. No such generating system shall be erected on any lot less than twenty acres in size. | 20 acres |
Noise limitmeasured from property line of adjacent dwellingAudible sound due to Solar Energy Generating System operations shall not exceed fifty-five (55) dBA for any period of time, when measured from the property line of any adjacent property improved with a dwelling unit at the time of the issuance of the zoning certificate. | 55 dBA |
Source: Washington County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Maryland state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Maryland rules and counties.
State siting: Maryland Public Service Commission
Solar over 2 MW needs a Public Service Commission certificate or approval before construction.
Public Utilities Article 7-207, 7-207.1, 7-207.4, 7-218. Source
Limits on local rules
Counties and towns cannot ban solar of more than 1 MW or deny a site plan that meets the state standards, with some exceptions.
Public Utilities Article 7-218(h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 624 of 2025). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar over 1 MW (AC) that sells wholesale, is community solar or is aggregate net metered; the owner must meet these figures, and a county or town may not ban such solar or deny a site plan that meets them. A siting agreement with the county may set looser terms; agrivoltaics are exempt from the figures.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 ft |
| Property line (non-participating) | 100 ft |
| Fence height | 20 ft max, no barbed wire |
| Public roads | 50 ft (fence from road right-of-way) |
| Panel height (average) | 15 ft average |
| Screening buffer width | 35 ft max |
| Berms | County may not require |
| Decommissioning | Bond up to 125% of cost, with the PSC |
Md. Code, Public Utilities 7-218(b), (f), (g), (h) (Renewable Energy Certainty Act, Ch. 623 of 2025). Source
Every Maryland figure in one spreadsheet
79 figures from 11 counties and 1 town or township, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Maryland state law.
How these figures were read
We found Washington 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 Washington County, MD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (PI, AP districts adjacent to expressway/highway) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Washington County, MD?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 20 acres. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.