2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Multnomah County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Multnomah County requires building and electrical permits for solar PV installations through the Department of Community Services Building Division. Portland uses BDS online solar permitting with same-day review for systems under 20 kW. Oregon's statewide solar permitting follows OAR 918-310 and the Oregon Solar Installation Specialty Code. Fire setbacks follow Oregon Fire Code Chapter 12.
Portland Permitting & Development – Solar Permits
Step 1: Research rules that apply to a site Watch in English. Ver en Español. Find out what rules apply to the property using PortlandMaps. Special rules may apply if the property is located in a plan district, historic, or conservation district. Visit how to research the zoning that applies to your project . Meet with City staff to answer your permit-related questions. Schedule a free 15-minut...
Oregon's Solar Rights Act ORS 105.880-105.895 prohibits HOAs from unreasonably restricting solar installations. ORS 94.762 (Oregon Planned Community Act) and ORS 100.405 (Condominium Act) specifically void CC&R provisions that ban solar collectors. HOAs may impose reasonable aesthetic conditions but cannot effectively prohibit solar.
1 cities in Multnomah County have their own solar energy rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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