Faribault County, Minnesota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 200 ft (Large Solar Energy Systems) from homes. Wind: 125% (Commercial WECS) decommissioning bond. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 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 |
|---|---|
Setback from homesLarge Solar Energy SystemsLarge Solar Energy Systems must meet the minimum building setback for the zoning district and be located a minimum of two hundred (200) feet from a residential dwelling unit not located on the property. | 200 ft |
Setback from Drainage SystemsLarge Solar Energy SystemsLarge Solar Energy Systems must meet a minimum setback of 100 feet from Dr ainage Systems. | 100 ft |
Decommissioning bondLarge Solar Energy SystemsThe B oard shall require an escrow account or surety bond equal to one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the costs to ensure proper decommissioning. | 125% |
Source: Faribault County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
1 figure read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Decommissioning bondCommercial WECSThe Board shall require an escrow account or surety bond equal to one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the costs to ensure proper decommissioning. | 125% |
Source: Faribault County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Minnesota state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Minnesota rules and counties.
State siting: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
A state site permit is needed for solar of 50 MW or more, wind of 5 MW or more and storage of 10 MW or more; the developer may instead seek local approval for solar under 80 MW, wind under 25 MW and any storage.
Minn. Stat. 216I.02 subd. 6, 11, 17, 18; 216I.08; 216I.10 (2024 permitting reform). Source
Limits on local rules
A state site permit overrides county and town zoning for projects of 50 MW or more; no limit was found for smaller projects.
Minn. Stat. 216I.18. Source
Solar standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind solar arrays whether the state or a county permits it; no statewide setback figures were found.
| Noise | 50 dBA L50 night, 60 dBA L50 day (residential) |
Minn. R. 7030.0040. Source
Wind standards in state law
Statewide noise limits apply to every noise source, so they bind wind turbines whether the state or a county permits it; no statewide setback figures were found.
| Noise | 50 dBA L50 night, 60 dBA L50 day (residential) |
Minn. R. 7030.0040. Source
Every Minnesota figure in one spreadsheet
158 figures from 30 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 10 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 2 moratoria and bans on file and Minnesota state law.
How these figures were read
We found Faribault 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 Faribault County, MN?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 200 ft (Large Solar Energy Systems) from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.