North Carolina solar and wind ordinances by county
30 counties with figures quoted from their own ordinances. 3 of 3 moratoria and bans on file in force. Plus the state law that applies.
Updated October 2026
Counties
Solar figures as each county's ordinance states them. Open a county for wind and battery storage rules, conditions, and the sentence each figure comes from.
| County | Rules read | Property line | Homes | Max height | Min lot | Moratorium or ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | Solar | 75 ft | n/a | n/a | 10 acres | None on file |
| Alexander County | Solar | 20 ftSolar Energy Generation Facility | n/a | 25 ftground mounted | n/a | None on file |
| Brunswick County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Burke County | Solar | n/a | 150 ftPower inverters and other sound producing equipment | 25 ft | 30 acresRA-20 District | None on file |
| Camden County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 25 ft | 5 acres | None on file |
| Cleveland County | Solar | 100 ft | n/a | n/a | 10 acres | None on file |
| Columbus County | Solar | 30 ftside or rear | n/a | 15 ftground mounted solar system | 1 acre | None on file |
| Davidson County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | 25 ftSolar power electric generation structures | 5 acresSolar Farm | In force |
| Franklin County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 25 ftSolar Energy Farms | n/a | None on file |
| Gates County | Solar, Wind | 100 ftfrom all property boundary lines | 150 ftpower inverters and other sound producing equipment | n/a | 10 acresminimum lot size | None on file |
| Greene County | None | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | In force |
| Henderson County | Solar | 20 ftSolar Energy Generation Facility | n/a | 25 ftground mounted | n/a | None on file |
| Hertford County | Solar, Wind | 200 ft | n/a | 15 ftground mounted | 25 acres | None on file |
| Iredell County | Solar, Wind | n/a | 500 ft | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Lincoln County | Solar | 50 ft | n/a | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Madison County | Solar, Wind | 100 ftLarge Scale Solar Energy Facilities | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Montgomery County | Solar | 250 ftfront property line, major SEPGS | n/a | 20 ftground or pole mounted SEPGS | n/a | None on file |
| Moore County | Solar | 50 ftside and rear setbacks | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Northampton County | Solar | 50 ftside and rear setback | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Onslow County | Solar, Wind | 15 ftside lot lines | 100 ft | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Pasquotank County | Solar, Wind | 50 ftside and rear property line | n/a | 25 ft | n/a | In force |
| Perquimans County | Solar, Wind | 30 ftwhichever is strictest | n/a | 15 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Pitt County | Solar | n/a | 100 ft | 25 ftground mounted | n/a | None on file |
| Polk County | Solar | 40 ft | 200 ftother than that of the property owners | 12 ftFreestanding | 20 acresMinor tract | None on file |
| Richmond County | Solar | 50 ftabutting residential property | n/a | 20 ftmeasured from highest natural grade below each solar panel | 10 acres | None on file |
| Rowan County | Solar | 100 ftUtility Scale Solar Energy Systems | 300 ftUtility Scale Solar Energy Systems equipment, excluding solar collectors | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Surry County | Solar, Wind | 50 ftLevel 2 SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM | n/a | 25 ftLevel 2 SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM | 5 acresLevel 2 SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM | None on file |
| Vance County | Solar | 50 ft | n/a | 25 ftground mounted | n/a | None on file |
| Warren County | Solar | n/a | 75 ftLevel 2 and 3 SES | 15 ftLevel 2 or 3 SES | n/a | None on file |
| Wayne County | Solar | n/a | 100 ftnon-residential area | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Yadkin County | Solar | 25 ftall property lines not on a public roadway | 300 ft | n/a | n/a | None on file |
Every North Carolina figure in one spreadsheet
177 figures from 35 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 3 moratoria and bans on file and North Carolina state law.
Moratoria and bans in North Carolina
County, town and township moratoria and bans, each checked against the adopting document.
| Place | Type | Covers | Status | Runs to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | Moratorium | Commercial solar farms (Class A special use permits) | In force | December 16, 2026 | DocumentChecked September 29, 2026 |
| Greene County | Moratorium | Solar farms (new special use permit applications) | In force | March 2, 2027 | DocumentChecked September 29, 2026 |
| Pasquotank County | Moratorium | Solar farms (special use permit applications) | In force | July 19, 2027 | DocumentChecked September 29, 2026 |
North Carolina state law
What state law says about local solar, wind and storage rules. Each statement links the law or official source it comes from.
State siting: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources)
Wind of 1 MW or more needs a state DEQ permit on top of local zoning; solar is sited by counties and towns under their general zoning powers, with no state siting.
N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-215.115 to 143-215.126 (Article 21C). Source
What local government decides
Local governments site solar under their general zoning powers. The state permit described in the inventory is for wind only.
N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 153A, 160A (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Screen sites across North Carolina
Basepoint checks each parcel against these rules along with grid, land and environmental data, and keeps the source for every figure.