Macon County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 156.05(D)(2)
- Applies to
- Commercial solar energy facilities only
- Standard
- Shielded and downcast lighting
- Trigger
- Only if lighting is installed at all
- Enforced through
- Special use permit conditions
- Non-compliance
- Default; grounds for permit revocation
Summary
Macon County Code § 156.05(D)(2) requires that any lighting installed at a commercial solar energy facility be shielded and downcast so it does not spill onto the neighboring parcel. The requirement is part of the special use permit conditions the County Board imposes when it sites a grid-scale solar facility in unincorporated Macon County.
(2) Lighting. If lighting is provided at the commercial solar energy facility, lighting shall be shielded and downcast such that the light does not spill onto the adjacent parcel.
Full Breakdown
05 of the Macon County Code sets the design and installation standards for commercial solar energy facilities, and subsection (D), titled Aesthetics and Lighting, addresses how a site's own light can affect its neighbors. Lighting is not mandatory at these facilities, but if a developer chooses to install it, paragraph (D)(2) requires that it be shielded and downcast so the light does not spill onto the adjacent parcel, protecting nonparticipating landowners from glare and skyglow generated by an industrial-scale facility next door. This sits alongside the rest of subsection (D): a continuous vegetative screen of native evergreens, shrubs, trees, or tall grasses must block the visible parts of the facility from nonparticipating residences, and all intra-project power and communication lines must be buried underground.
01. Because this rule lives inside Chapter 156, it applies specifically to permitted commercial solar facilities in unincorporated Macon County rather than to general residential or commercial lighting county-wide; a homeowner's yard light or a farmyard light is not reached by this particular section.
Violations & Fines
Installing unshielded lighting that spills onto an adjacent parcel is a default under the facility's special use permit and under § 156.09. The County Board must issue written notice and allow a 30-day cure period (extendable 60 more days for a diligent cure); failing to fix the lighting is grounds for the County Board to revoke the special use permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Macon County limit light spilling from a solar farm onto my property?
Is lighting required at a commercial solar facility in Macon County?
Does this light trespass rule cover ordinary neighbors' yard lights?
What happens if a solar facility's lights spill onto neighboring land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon County
Compare Macon County to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
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