Collierville, TN Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Collierville regulates photovoltaic cells as an ancillary use under § 151.025(D)(21), with separate standards for residential uses and for nonresidential and mixed-use properties. This record covers the residential standards, which split into ground-mounted and rooftop installations.

Ground-mounted PV cells on a residential lot cannot count towards the maximum of accessory structures permitted, cannot be located within easements or required buffer yards, and cannot exceed 14 feet in height. They are exempt from any screening requirements. They must comprise less than 50% of the lot area. They also have to sit behind the front facade of the structure, with a setback from a property line equal to or greater than the cell height, or the required yard setback for the principal structure, whichever is less. In no case can ground-mounted cells be located closer than five feet from a property line or other building or structure.

Rooftop residential PV cells cannot exceed five feet above the finished roof and are exempt from any rooftop equipment or mechanical system screening requirements. The exception to that exemption is the Local Historic Overlay: there, PV cells have to be installed in locations that are not readily visible from public view, to preserve the historic character of the property.

Nonresidential and mixed-use properties follow a different set: ground-mounted cells stay out of easements and buffer yards, comprise less than 50% of the lot area, sit behind the front facade and stay at least five feet from a property line or other building; rooftop cells cannot exceed ten feet above the finished roof and must be screened like rooftop equipment.

Large utility-scale solar is a separate matter. Electric production facilities are limited to photovoltaic cells under § 151.021 special conditions, and require a 25 acre minimum lot size and a decommissioning plan, so a rooftop or backyard array on a home falls under the § 151.025(D)(21) standards instead.