(A) Facility equipment. Shall conform to applicable International Code Council building codes and to other industry standards including the International Code Council energy provisions and the American National Standards Institute ("ANSI"). Applicants shall submit certificates from equipment manufacturers that have obtained from Underwriters Laboratories ("UL") and/or an equivalent third party an assurance that the equipment is manufactured in compliance with industry standards. All solar panels, cells and modules, and solar panel mounts and racking, including any helical piles, ground screws, ballasts, or other anchoring systems shall be new equipment commercially available; no used or experimental equipment shall be used without the approval of a variance by the County Board.
(B) Compliance with additional regulations. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to coordinate with the FAA or other applicable federal or state authority to attain any additional required approval for the installation of a solar energy generation facility. The applicant shall submit with the special use application an approval letter from any federal or state authority requiring permit or approval.
(C) Power and communication lines. Power and communication lines ("lines") running between banks of solar panels shall be buried underground except from point of interconnection to existing utility-owned, aboveground electrical wires. The applicant shall submit with the special use application a copy of a letter from the electric utility company confirming the review of the application for interconnection has started.
(D) Minimum acreage. No CSES shall be erected in any lot less than 20 acres in size.
(E) Height. Systems, equipment, and structures shall not exceed 20 feet in height above the ground at full tilt. Excluded from this height requirement, however are electric transmission lines, utility poles, and other poles and equipment used in connecting a ground-mounted piece of equipment to an electric transmission line.
(F) Intra-project power and communication lines. All power lines used to collect power and all communication lines shall be buried underground at a depth in accordance with the agricultural impact mitigation agreement until same reach the property line or a substation adjacent to the property line.
(G) Floodplain. No CSEF or substation parts and/or equipment for construction or operation shall be permitted to be located in the designated Jersey County floodplain determined by the current FEMA FIRM maps or as determined by the Jersey County Certified Floodplain Manager.
(H) Security. Knox boxes and keys shall be provided at locked entrances for emergency personnel access.
(I) Lighting. If lighting is provided at the site, lighting shall be shielded and downcast so that the light does not spill onto adjacent parcels.
(J) Noise. Noise levels from CSEFs shall be in compliance with applicable Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) regulations. The applicant shall submit the manufacturer's sound power level characteristics and other relevant data regarding noise characteristics necessary for a competent noise analysis. The applicant, through the use of a qualified professional, shall appropriately demonstrate compliance with the applicable noise requirements in its special use application.
(K) Glare. Solar collectors shall be placed such that concentrated solar radiation or glare does not project onto nearby structures, roadways or other areas accessible to the public. The applicant has the burden of proving that any glare produced does not have significant adverse impact on neighboring or adjacent uses either through siting or mitigation.
(L) Fire safety. It is the responsibility of the applicant to coordinate with the local fire protection district. The applicant shall submit with the special use application an approval letter from the local fire protection district.
(M) Warning signage. A visible warning sign of "high voltage" shall be posted at all points of site ingress and egress and along the perimeter fence of the facility, at a maximum of 300 feet apart. A sign that includes the facility's 911 address and a 24-hour emergency contact number shall be posted near all entrances to the facility.
(N) Endangered species and wetlands. Applicant shall seek natural resource consultation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The applicant shall submit with the special use application the results of the IDNR EcoCAT consultation. The cost of the EcoCAT consultation and complete environmental review shall be paid by the applicant. The completed report shall be included with the special use application submission.
(O) Foundations. A qualified structural engineer licensed in the State of Illinois shall certify that the foundation and design of the solar panels is within accepted professional standards, given local soil and climate conditions.
(P) Other standards and codes. All commercial solar energy facilities or substations shall be in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal regulatory standards, including the National Electric Code, as amended.
(Q) Agricultural impact mitigation. Pursuant to 505 ILCS 147/15(a), the applicant, at its expense, shall enter into an agricultural impact mitigation agreement ("AIMA") with the Illinois Department of Agriculture prior to any public hearing required before a siting decision on the CSEF application. All impacted agricultural land, whether impacted during construction, operation, or decommissioning activities, must, at a minimum, be remediated by the applicant pursuant to terms of the AIMA with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The applicant shall submit a copy of the standard agricultural impact mitigation agreement fully executed between the landowner(s) and the Department of Agriculture as part of the special use application.
(Ord. passed 5-9-2023)