(A) Except as authorized by the City Council for public utility and/or public infrastructure purposes, solar energy systems shall only be permitted if accessory to a principal building and/or principal use.
(B) Any person seeking to erect, construct, install, or maintain a ground-mounted small solar energy system on property located within the city limits shall obtain an electrical and building permit prior to the installation of any solar energy system. As part of the application for the required permits, a person seeking to erect, construct, install, or maintain a small solar energy system shall also submit a written narrative and graphic form, which includes all of the items listed below:
(1) Name, address, and telephone number of property owner;
(2) Name, address, and telephone number of the installer of the small solar energy system;
(3) Description of the proposed small solar energy system indicating the following:
(a) Plan showing the proposed location of the small solar energy system;
(b) System dimensions and specifications;
(c) Evidence showing compliance with all applicable setback requirements;
(d) Evidence showing compliance with applicable setback and/or height regulations;
(e) Distance to any roads or overhead utility lines; and
(f) Compliance with each regulation contained herein.
(4) A professional engineer licensed in the state shall stamp all plans and specifications for the proposed small solar energy system.
(5) Utility notification. No grid-intertie photovoltaic cell system shall be installed until evidence has been given to the City Electrical Inspector that the person seeking to erect or install said small solar energy system has submitted notification to the utility company of their intent to install an interconnected customer-owned generator. Off-grid systems are exempt from this requirement.
(C) Small solar energy systems shall be installed according to manufacturer specifications and in accordance with all applicable building codes, electrical codes, fire codes, and other ordinances, codes, rules, and regulations pertaining to small solar energy systems.
(D) Electric solar energy system components must have a UL listing.
(E) All small solar energy systems shall have a lockable, utility accessible, load breaking, manual disconnect switch, which can be utilized to connect and/or disconnect all electric solar energy system components. The manual disconnect switch shall be located not more than four feet from the building's electric service meter. The manual disconnect switch shall not be obstructed from access in any manner, including, but not limited to, landscaping, shrubs, trees, terraces, fencing, and the like.
(F) All small solar energy systems shall have caution labels installed and/or placed on said small solar energy system as required by the Electrical Code and as required by the power utility.
(G) Setbacks; height requirements.
(1) Setbacks: residential.
(a) Front yard. Solar energy systems shall not be located within any required front yard setback. They may be located in a front yard (beyond the required front setback line) subject to receiving a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals and approval of the City Council.
(b) Side yard. Solar energy systems shall be located no closer than six feet to the side lot lines when located within the side yard along the side of the principal building or in the front yard with the required variance.
(c) Rear yard. Solar energy systems may be located no closer than three feet from the side lot line and five feet from the rear lot line when the solar energy system is located in its entirety in the back yard behind the principal building.
(d) Proximity to other structures. Solar energy systems shall not be closer than six feet to other structures whether on the same parcel or an adjacent parcel.
(e) Corner lot. On corner lots there shall be maintained a side yard of not less than 15 feet on the side adjacent to the street which intersects the street upon which the principal building maintains frontage, and in the case of a reversed corner lot, no solar systems on a reversed corner lot shall project beyond the front yard required on the adjacent lot to the rear.
(f) Easements, utilities, and rights-of-way. No portion of any solar energy system shall extend into any easement, right-of-way, or public way, regardless of the above stated exceptions and regulations for setback and yard requirements.
(2) Setbacks: business and manufacturing. Setbacks for solar energy systems located in business or manufacturing zoning districts shall comply with all setbacks set forth in the zoning regulations, with exception to a business or manufacturing zoned lot that is adjacent to a residential zoned lot. In that case, the solar energy system installed on a business or manufacturing zoned lot must comply with the setbacks defined above for residential property.
(3) Lot coverage; maximum size.
(a) The footprint of a ground-mounted solar energy system will be taken into account with all other structures when calculating lot coverage as defined in the zoning regulations.
(b) The maximum size, without a variance, of a ground-mounted system shall be 10 kW.
(H) Maximum permitted height. Residential. Ground-mounted solar energy systems shall extend no taller than 12 feet from grade when located in a side or rear yard, four feet when located in a front yard, and only after having obtained the required variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals and approval from the City Council.
(I) Fences required. A fence with a minimum height of 48 inches and a lockable gate shall be required around all ground-mounted solar energy systems. The fence material must be in compliance with the fence regulations of the city.
(J) Self-contained solar energy systems. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to a self-contained solar energy system, provided, however, that a self-contained solar energy system(s) shall be limited to an aggregate solar collector surface area of less than or equal to six square feet.
(Ord. 3930, passed 5-29-18) Penalty, see § 160.99