Virginia solar and wind ordinances by county
27 counties with figures quoted from their own ordinances. 0 of 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County | Solar | 150 ftutility-scale solar generation facilities | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Campbell County | Solar | 150 ftlarge scale or community/shared solar energy facilities | n/a | 20 ftground-mounted solar energy generation facilities | n/a | None on file |
| Charlotte County | Solar | 75 ftUtility-Scale Solar Energy Systems | 400 ftUtility-Scale Solar Energy Systems | 25 ftground mounted Solar Energy Systems & equipment | n/a | None on file |
| Chesapeake city | Solar | 150 ftAll other exterior property lines | 1,000 fton-site substation | 10 ftat max tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Clarke County | Solar | n/a | n/a | n/a | 20 acres | None on file |
| Cumberland County | Solar, Wind, Battery storage | 100 ft | 500 ft | 15 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Essex County | Solar | 150 ftutility-scale solar facilities | 150 ftlarge-scale solar and PPA solar facilities | 10 ftlowest edge of photovoltaic panels | 2 acresutility-scale solar energy facility | None on file |
| Fauquier County | Solar | 100 ft | n/a | 15 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Goochland County | Solar, Battery storage | 100 ft | 150 ft | 20 ftExcluding transmission utility poles serving the site | n/a | None on file |
| Grayson County | Solar | 150 ft | 250 ft | 10 ftlowest edge of photovoltaic panels measured from finished grade | n/a | None on file |
| Greene County | Solar | 300 ftadjacent property lines | n/a | 12 ftground-mounted solar | n/a | None on file |
| Halifax County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 20 ft | n/a | None on file |
| King George County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 15 ftground-mounted utility-scale solar | 2 acresutility-scale solar | None on file |
| King William County | Solar | 150 ftprincipal solar energy facilities | n/a | 20 ftbuildings, structures, solar panel arrays or other equipment | n/a | None on file |
| Loudoun County | Solar, Battery storage | 25 ftgeneral standards | n/a | 20 ftgeneral standards | 500 acresGI zoning district, permitted use | None on file |
| Lunenburg County | Solar | 250 ftlarge-scale solar energy facilities | 450 ftresidential structures on non-project parcels | 15 ftsolar energy generation facilities | n/a | None on file |
| Mecklenburg County | Solar | 150 ftutility-scale solar facility | n/a | 15 ftprimary structures and accessory buildings | 2 acresutility-scale solar facility | Not in force |
| Middlesex County | Solar, Battery storage | 100 ftRH Resource Husbandry district | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Northampton County | Solar, Wind | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | None on file |
| Nottoway County | Solar, Battery storage | 300 ftfrom adjacent property lines | 1,200 ftfrom a habitable dwelling | 25 ft | n/a | None on file |
| Page County | Solar | n/a | n/a | 15 ftphotovoltaic panels, primary structures, battery storage systems and accessory buildings | 2 acresutility-scale solar facility | None on file |
| Rockbridge County | Solar | 100 ft | n/a | 12 ftfinished grade to the top of the solar panel | n/a | None on file |
| Scott County | Solar | 100 ftUtility-Scale Solar Generation Facilities | n/a | 20 ftUtility-Scale Solar Generation Facilities | n/a | None on file |
| Southampton County | Solar | n/a | 500 ftsubstations or connector stations | 18 ftsolar energy arrays when oriented at maximum tilt | n/a | None on file |
| Surry County | Solar | 300 ftutility-scale projects | n/a | 18 ftGround-mounted solar energy generation facilities | n/a | None on file |
| Sussex County | Solar | 150 ftutility-scale solar facility | 300 ftutility-scale solar facility | 15 ftother facility structures | 100 acresutility-scale solar facility | None on file |
| Washington County | Solar | 50 ftnon-participating property | 100 ftinhabitant residence | 15 ft | n/a | None on file |
Every Virginia figure in one spreadsheet
238 figures from 32 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Virginia state law.
Moratoria and bans in Virginia
County, town and township moratoria and bans, each checked against the adopting document.
| Place | Type | Covers | Status | Runs to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | Ban | Utility-scale solar | Repealed | July 1, 2026 | DocumentChecked September 29, 2026 |
Virginia 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: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; State Corporation Commission
Projects up to 150 MW can use a permit by rule from the Department of Environmental Quality. Larger ones may need a certificate from the State Corporation Commission. Local approval is also needed.
Va. Code Ann. 10.1-1197.5, 56-265.2 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Limits on local rules
For ground-mounted solar of 1 MW or more serving other property, counties must use a special exception or siting agreement whose setbacks, screening and height stay within state ranges; a county can still deny the application, and can depart from the ranges only by written agreement with the landowner and applicant.
Va. Code 15.2-2288.8(A) (2026 Acts cc. 1005, 1068). Source
What local government decides
Local governments set development standards and conditions for solar.
Va. Code Ann. 15.2-2288.7 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Solar standards in state law
Applies to ground-mounted solar of 1 MW or more that serves other property; each county must write its special-exception rules within these ranges (picking any number inside a range), may still deny a project, and may agree looser terms in a siting agreement.
| Homes (non-participating) | 150 to 200 ft |
| Schools, churches, community buildings | 150 to 200 ft |
| Public roads | 50 to 100 ft from roadbed edge |
| Property line (non-participating) | 50 to 75 ft |
| Wetlands and perennial streams | 50 ft (25 MW or less), 100 ft (over 25 MW) |
| Wetlands and streams in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas | 100 to 125 ft |
| Panel height at full tilt | 25 ft |
| Screening buffer width | 25 to 50 ft wide; plants need not exceed 3 ft at planting |
| Vegetative ground cover | Up to 75% may be required |
| Decommissioning | Agreement plus financial assurance; estimate updated every 5 years |
Va. Code 15.2-2288.8(A) (2026 Acts cc. 1005, 1068); 15.2-2241.2. Source
Battery storage standards in state law
Batteries added inside the parcel of a solar project that already has a special exception are a permitted accessory use in every zoning district, with no further local land use approval, if storage capacity does not exceed the solar nameplate.
| Size allowed by right at an approved solar site | Up to 100% of solar nameplate |
Va. Code 15.2-2316.10 (2026 Acts cc. 1011, 1076). Source
Screen sites across Virginia
Basepoint checks each parcel against these rules along with grid, land and environmental data, and keeps the source for every figure.