Vance County, North Carolina solar ordinance
Solar: 50 ft from property lines, 100 ft from roads, 25 ft (ground mounted) maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackGround mounted solar energy systems as part of a solar farm shall have a setback for all equipment including fences a minimum of 100 feet from street right-of-ways and 50 feet from other property lines. | 50 ft |
Road setbackGround mounted solar energy systems as part of a solar farm shall have a setback for all equipment including fences a minimum of 100 feet from street right-of-ways and 50 feet from other property lines. | 100 ft |
Maximum heightground mountedSystems, equipment and structures shall not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height when ground mounted. | 25 ft |
Fence heightminimum heightSystems, equipment and structures shall be fully enclosed and secured by a fence with a minimum height of 8 feet. | 8 ft |
Source: Vance County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 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 Vance 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 Vance County, NC?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft from roads and 50 ft from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Vance County, NC?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 25 ft (ground mounted). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.