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

Greenwood County Code § 6-3-109(l) sets detailed standards for solar panels as an accessory use to a residential structure. In residential zoning districts, panels must be limited to the side and rear of the structure and rear lot, and cannot exceed the district's height limit; in other districts panels are confined to the sides and rear of the lot, screened from adjacent property lines, and any rooftop placement must be screened from neighboring view by a parapet or curtain wall. An applicant must submit a site plan showing the panel locations, arrangement, distance from the roof, roof pitch, and distance to all property lines.

Every solar energy system component needs a UL listing and anti-reflective glare coatings to cut down on solar glare, and the applicant must provide written authorization from the local public utility acknowledging the interconnected, customer-owned generator and approving the connection. Roof-mounted collectors cannot extend above the roof's ridge cap or exceed the district height limit, cannot extend beyond the building's exterior perimeter, and must be mounted parallel to the roof at the same pitch or no more than five percent steeper. Roof systems also cannot block firefighting roof access, and exterior piping for solar hot water systems may extend past the building perimeter only on a side yard exposure.

Mounting hardware must be non-reflective or matte black, an active homeowners' association or architectural review board must approve the site plan before a building permit issues, and the installation must meet the applicable International Building Code sections.