Grayson County, Virginia solar ordinance
Solar: 150 ft from property lines, 250 ft from homes, 150 ft from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
14 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbacka. 150 feet from adjacent property lines. | 150 ft |
Setback from homesc. 250 feet from a dwelling. | 250 ft |
Road setbackb. 150 feet from all public rights-of-way. | 150 ft |
Setback from town or city boundariesiii. Solar facilities shall not be located closer than 1 mile to any town or city boundaries, or from properties in the Rural Residence (RR), Highland/Recreation-Public (HR-P), or Shoreline Recreation (SR) zoning districts. | 1 mile |
Setback from Rural Residence (RR) zoning districtiii. Solar facilities shall not be located closer than 1 mile to any town or city boundaries, or from properties in the Rural Residence (RR), Highland/Recreation-Public (HR-P), or Shoreline Recreation (SR) zoning districts. | 1 mile |
Setback from existing or permitted large-scale solar facilityiv. No solar facility shall be located within 2 miles of another existing or permitted large-scale solar facility. | 2 miles |
Setback from transmission line corridorsfacilities interconnecting to transmission linesv. Solar facilities interconnecting to transmission lines shall be located within 2 miles of transmission line corridors. | 2 miles |
Maximum heightlowest edge of photovoltaic panels measured from finished gradethe maximum height of the lowest edge of photovoltaic panels shall be 10 feet as measured from the finished grade. | 10 ft |
Maximum heightpanels, buildings, structures and other components measured from highest natural gradeThe maximum height of panels, buildings, structures and other components of a solar facility shall be 15 feet, which shall be measured from the highest natural grade below each element. | 15 ft |
Fence heightminimum security fencing heightenclosed by security fencing on the interior of the buffer area (not to be seen by other properties) at a minimum of 7 feet in height | 7 ft |
Maximum lot coveragearea of solar panel coverage for any single solar facility projectii. The area of solar panel coverage for any single solar facility project may not exceed 65 percent of the total acreage of the project. | 65% |
Maximum lot coveragefenced area in any given 5-mile radiusno more than 3 percent of the land area in any given 5-mile radius shall be approved for use as the fenced area for a large-scale solar facility. | 3% |
Maximum project sizemaximum project areai. The maximum project area of a solar facility shall be 500 acres. | 500 acres |
Noise limitAudible sound from solar facilities shall not exceed sixty (60) decibels, as measured from any adjacent non-participating landowners' property line. | 60 dBA |
Source: Grayson County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Virginia state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Virginia rules and counties.
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
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
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.
How these figures were read
We found Grayson 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 Grayson County, VA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft from property lines, 150 ft from roads and 250 ft from homes. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Grayson County, VA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 10 ft (lowest edge of photovoltaic panels measured from finished grade) and 15 ft (panels, buildings, structures and other components measured from highest natural grade). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.