Mecklenburg County, Virginia solar ordinance
Mecklenburg County had a ban adopted April 14, 2025, since repealed. It covered utility-scale solar. Solar: 150 ft (utility-scale solar facility) from property lines, 2 acres (utility-scale solar facility) minimum lot. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Ban
Utility-scale solar
- Adopted
- April 14, 2025
- Runs to
- July 1, 2026
- Scope
- small and medium (residential/business) solar; three grandfathered projects (Seven Bridges, Finneywood, Antlers Road)
- Checked
- September 29, 2026
the Board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to establish a revised Article 20, Solar Ordinance, within the Mecklenburg Code of Ordinances, effective immediately, and permit all three applicants currently in the process to be heard
Solar rules
9 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackutility-scale solar facilityThe minimum setback to all property lines shall be 150 feet. | 150 ft |
Setback from town boundaryutility-scale solar facilityA utility-scale solar facility will not be located within one (1) mile of any town boundary. | 1 mile |
Setback from another approved or constructed solar facilityutility-scale solar facilityA utility-scale solar facility will not be located within two (2) miles of another approved or constructed Utility-Scale, Small-Scale, or Community-Scale Solar facility | 2 miles |
Setback from FAA regulated airportutility-scale solar facilityNo solar project will be located within one (1) mile of FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulated airport | 1 mile |
Maximum heightprimary structures and accessory buildingsThe Maximum height of primary structures and accessory buildings shall be 15 feet as measured from the finished grade at the base of the structure to its highest point | 15 ft |
Fence heightutility-scale solar facilityThe facilities shall be enclosed by security fencing on the interior of the buffer area (not to be seen by other properties) not less than seven (7) feet in height | 7 ft |
Minimum lot sizeutility-scale solar facilityThe minimum area of a utility-scale solar facility shall be two (2) acres. | 2 acres |
Maximum project sizeutility-scale solar facility construction, material storage, grading and related activitiesThe area, within which all construction, material storage, grading and related activities for the utility-scale solar facility occurs, will be no more than a total of five (500) acres. | 500 acres |
Maximum project sizetotal fenced-in acreage in Mecklenburg CountyNo more than 2,325 acres within Mecklenburg County shall be approved for use as the fenced-in acreage of a Community-Scale Solar Facility, Utility-Scale Solar Facility, Medium-Scale Solar Facility, and Small-Scale Solar Facility. | 2,325 acres |
Source: Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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
Is there a solar ban in Mecklenburg County, VA?
Mecklenburg County had a ban adopted April 14, 2025, since repealed. It covered utility-scale solar. Checked against the adopting document on September 29, 2026.
What are the solar setbacks in Mecklenburg County, VA?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 150 ft (utility-scale solar facility) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Mecklenburg County, VA?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft (primary structures and accessory buildings). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What is the minimum lot size for a solar farm in Mecklenburg County, VA?
The ordinance sets a minimum lot size of 2 acres (utility-scale solar facility). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.