Solar Energy in Charlotte, NC (2026)
2 verified solar energy rules for Charlotte, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Panel Permits
Charlotte's Unified Development Ordinance requires a zoning use permit for ground-mounted solar arrays as accessory structures, and UDO Sec. 17.2.M sets the siting and screening standards a permit application must satisfy. Roof-mounted, building-integrated and parking-canopy solar panels are exempt from screening, but ground-mounted units on anything other than a single-family, duplex, triplex or quadraplex lot must meet setback and screening rules.
Charlotte Solar Panel Permit Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsCharlotte UDO § 17.2.M (Solar Panels)
M. Solar Panels The following provisions shall not apply to single-family, duplex, triplex, or quadraplex dwellings on individual lots. 1. The following standards shall apply to ground-mounted solar panels: a. Ground-mounted solar panels may be located in the established side or rear setback. When visible from a frontage or from an adjacent property that is located in a Neighborhood 1 Place Typ...
HOA Restrictions
North Carolina General Statute 22B-20 prohibits HOAs from completely banning solar energy systems. HOAs in Charlotte may impose reasonable rules regarding placement, screening, and aesthetics, but cannot effectively prohibit solar installations or make them economically impractical. This state law supersedes restrictive HOA covenants.
Charlotte Solar Panel HOA Rules
Some RestrictionsN.C. Gen. Stat. § 22B-20 (Deed Restrictions and Other Agreements Prohibiting Solar Collectors)
Sec. 22B-20. Deed restrictions and other agreements prohibiting solar collectors. (a) The intent of the General Assembly is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by encouraging the development and use of solar resources and by prohibiting deed restrictions, covenants, and other similar agreements that could have the ultimate effect of driving the costs of owning and maintaining a re...