Clarkstown, NY Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Under § 247-6, rooftop-mounted solar equipment is permitted in all zoning districts of the Town of Clarkstown "subject to the submission, review and issuance of a permit by the Building Inspector," and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems go through the identical Building Inspector permit process. Ground-mounted and freestanding systems are allowed townwide provided they meet the applicable zoning district's setbacks and, at maximum tilt, do not exceed 20 feet in height for nonresidential installations or 10 feet for residential ones. The permitting track then splits by size: a residential ground-mount under 12 kW with less than 1/4-acre of land disturbance is reviewed only by the Building Department and the Department of Engineering and Facilities Management, while a residential system exceeding 12 kW total cumulative capacity or 1/4-acre of disturbance must also go before the Planning Board and the Architectural Historic Review Board.

Nonresidential systems follow the same split at the 25-kW/1/4-acre threshold. Installations inside a designated historic district or on a historic site need Architectural Historic Review Board approval unless the equipment is not visible from the street or the historic site. Under § 247-7, installation and module work must be done by a qualified solar installer or contractor, electrical connections must be inspected by an approved electrical inspection agency before the system operates, and storage batteries must sit in a secure container meeting New York State Building Code requirements.

A system that stops working for more than 12 consecutive months must be repaired or removed within 90 days after that year ends. Denials can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals under § 247-8.