Florence County, SC Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Florence County splits solar permitting by system size. Sec. 30-114.1 governs Level I (small, mostly roof-mounted or limited ground-mounted) and Level II (larger ground-mounted) systems. Applicants apply to the planning department and must 'complete and submit a solar energy systems application' and 'submit three, scaled 11-inch by 17-inch or larger, site plans by a licensed land surveyor, landscape architect, or engineer,' showing the developer's contact information, tax map number, property boundaries, adjacent land uses, water bodies with a 40-foot buffer, flood hazard areas, wetlands and the area of any land disturbance. Sealed structural plans certified by a licensed engineer are required too, covering wiring diagrams and maximum height, though an individual residential PV system installed to the manufacturer's instructions is exempt from that structural-seal step.

Level I approval turns on an interconnection utility agreement for grid-tied systems, a restrictive covenants affidavit where applicable, and an FAA letter if the site sits in an airport district. Level II approval adds a stormwater NPDES permit from SCDHEC or the county, with a SWPPP required once land disturbance reaches one acre, plus fire department review and an approved site plan.

Design standards live in the companion Sec. 30-114, which sets ground-mounted setbacks (five feet for Level II, 50 feet for Level III) and a 20-foot height cap at maximum tilt, and requires anti-reflective coating on collectors. Fees are billed under Sec. 30-296's zoning-compliance fee schedule, and Sec. 30-114.6 routes penalties to the chapter's general enforcement section, Sec. 30-274.