Battle Creek, MI Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 1251.38 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances treats rooftop and wall-mounted solar as a permitted personal-scale solar energy facility, as long as the system is for on-site use and meets the section's four sets of rules.

Height: a roof-mounted system must not extend more than three feet above the roofline, and it cannot extend above the maximum permitted height of the building to which it is attached. Location: roof-mounted systems can sit anywhere on the roof of a principal or accessory structure, but they cannot protrude beyond the edge of the roof, and a solar panel can function as a roof element, such as an awning. Wall-mounted systems can sit anywhere on the wall of a principal or accessory structure and cannot extend above the edge of the roof.

The application is where the City collects its protections. Every application for a solar energy system must be accompanied by a performance guarantee sufficient to ensure the decommissioning and removal of the system when it is abandoned or no longer needed, and the section refers applicants to Section 1281.04(f). Section 1281.04 is the Zoning Code's Site Plan Review section. The applicant must also submit proof of sufficient property damage and liability insurance.

The section addresses roof-mounted and wall-mounted systems only, and it prints no application fee or review timeline. The Zoning Administrator enforces the Zoning Code, and a system built outside these limits is a Zoning Code violation rather than a matter left to the installer's discretion.