Coweta County, GA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Coweta County's Solar Energy Ordinance, added to Article 6D of the Zoning and Development Ordinance in 2025, sorts solar projects into two approval tracks. Sec. 6D.7(a) puts building-mounted systems and small-scale ground-mounted systems (footprint under one acre) on administrative review: both "shall be considered as an accessory use in all zoning districts," subject to the director of community development's approval, with or without conditions. Sec. 6D.7(b) pushes intermediate- and large-scale ground-mounted systems, and solar farms over ten acres, into a special use permit reviewed and approved by the board of commissioners, and limits those larger projects to the LM, M, and RC zoning districts.

Permitting requirements differ by installation type under Sec. 6D.10. Every building-mounted system needs a building permit, and panels on a sloped roof cannot rise above the roof's highest point; on a flat roof, panels cannot extend past the roofline. Ground-mounted systems also need a building permit, cannot sit in a front yard or between the house and the street, must stay at least ten feet from any structure, cannot exceed 15 feet in height at maximum tilt, and are capped at 25 percent of the principal building's footprint on residential lots. Inverter noise from a ground system cannot exceed 45 dBA at the property line.

Applications for anything beyond a small rooftop or small ground system trigger the fuller submittal package under Sec. 6D.8: application and permit fees, a surveyor's site plan, an elevation sketch, and, for solar farms, a decommissioning plan with financial assurance so the county isn't left to cover removal costs if a project is abandoned.