“Every community is a host community in the clean energy future”: this is the philosophy of SolSmart, a U.S. Department of Energy funded organization that helps municipalities and regions accelerate smart solar growth. A municipality’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and zoning regulations can facilitate or impede solar development. Most utility-scale solar falls outside municipal purview and instead is reviewed by the Connecticut Siting Council; therefore, let’s look at planning and zoning for residential solar.
Why residential solar?
Residential solar installations can lower electricity bills, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, relieve strain from the electrical grid, and increase resilience in the face of extreme weather. The presence of solar panels is minimally disruptive to neighbors, as they are usually installed flat against a house’s roof. Additionally, Forbes reports that solar can increase a home’s value by around 4%.
Planning Best Practices
The POCD is an ideal spot to discuss residential solar for the community. SolSmart recommends undertaking a solar resource analysis to target areas for solar growth – PACE’s Solar Canopy Map and Google’s Project Sunroof are great starting points. Setting concrete, achievable goals based on that data will create a plan that is not just aspirational, but actionable. Subdivision Regulations can be updated to align targeted areas for solar growth with land use regulations: developments should demonstrate the use of passive solar energy techniques (i.e., southern facing orientations) to the maximum extent practicable. Finally, the POCD should contemplate policies or strategies you might like to explore to reach those goals. For instance, a community may wish to launch a promotional campaign for residential solar or pursue a SolSmart Bronze designation.
Zoning Best Practices
Solar-friendly residential zoning means removing unnecessary restrictions that increase the “soft costs” (research, permitting, site modifications) associated with solar. Here are some suggestions:
- Allow building-mounted and free-standing solar PV systems as accessory uses by right in all zoning districts.
- Exempt roof-mounted solar panels from height limits and visual screening requirements for rooftop equipment.
- Because agricultural uses are allowed as-of-right in most residential zones, consider if special “agrivoltaics” regulations are necessary.
- Adjust setback and screening requirements for free-standing solar PV systems on farms (a 50-ft setback may be necessary for farm buildings due to odor and noise, but should be considerably reduced for solar).
- Only the footings of free-standing solar PV systems should count towards calculations of impervious surface or lot coverage.
If your community has experienced conflicts over trees or structures blocking an adjacent parcel’s solar potential, consider protecting the “right to light” through the zoning regulations or a legislative ordinance.[1]
Other Resources
NVCOG maintains an online hub with solar information specific to our region for residents, developers, and municipalities. Learn more here.
You can also access SolSmart’s webinar and slides on solar planning and zoning, and EnergizeCT’s model zoning ordinance.
[1] See Town of Wolcott Zoning Regulations, Sec. 25.4.13
