Alamance County, North Carolina solar ordinance
Solar: 75 ft from property lines, 10 acres minimum lot. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
5 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackAll SES shall be required at the time of the issuance of a permit to create and thereafter maintain a seventy-five foot (75’) minimum operations setback from all exterior property lines of the parcel(s) on which they are located. | 75 ft |
Setback from Historic Landmarkhistoric landmark recognized by Alamance County Historic Properties Commission located on the same parcelIn the event a Historic landmark recognized by Alamance County Historic Properties Commission is located on the same parcel as an SES, the SES shall be required at the time of the issuance of a permit to create and thereafter maintain a one hundred-foot (100’) setback from the closest edge of the Historic Landmark to the area of operations facing the Historic Landmark. | 100 ft |
Setback from streamAll SES shall be required to maintain a fifty foot (50’) minimum stream setback from any stream as defined in this Ordinance. | 50 ft |
Fence heightAt a minimum, the area of operations of the SES shall be completely enclosed by a minimum six (6) foot high fence with a self-locking gate. | 6 ft |
Minimum lot sizeNo SES shall be situated on a tract of land less than ten (10) acres in size. | 10 acres |
Source: Alamance County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
North Carolina state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All North Carolina rules and counties.
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
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.
How these figures were read
We found Alamance 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 Alamance County, NC?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 75 ft from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Alamance County, NC?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 10 acres. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.