Asheville, NC Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Solar panels fall under Sec. 7-14-1(b)(2), the accessory-use provision covering devices for the generation of energy or conservation, alongside wind systems and water conservation tanks. Item (a) is short and direct: private, noncommercial solar energy systems shall comply with the minimum setback requirements. That means a ground-mounted or pole-mounted solar array is reviewed the same way any other accessory structure is, against the front, side, and rear setback lines of the applicable zoning district, rather than under a bespoke solar ordinance with its own numeric setback table.

What the code adds specifically for solar is a variance path: the City of Asheville Board of Adjustment may grant a variance to the required setbacks and allow such structures to be located in the front yard in order to allow for optimal placement, but only on a four-part showing. The homeowner must demonstrate that no portion of the structure or its architectural features will project over the property lines, that the installation will not adversely impact adjacent properties, that it will be compatible with the character of the neighborhood, and that no other design could achieve the same solar-access outcome.

That last requirement effectively puts the burden on the applicant to show that a rear- or side-yard placement, or a roof-mounted alternative, would not work before the board will consider a front-yard exception. Nothing in Sec. 7-14-1(b)(2)a creates a separate solar permit fee schedule; a solar installation still goes through the city's standard building and electrical permitting for the equipment itself, with the zoning setback and variance framework in this section controlling only where on the lot the array can sit.