Greenwood, IN Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard placement
- prohibited
- Front elevation mounting
- prohibited
- Sloped roof height
- max 4 inches above roof
- Flat roof
- must sit behind parapet
- Visible wiring/conduit
- prohibited from right-of-way
Summary
Greenwood's Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 10-03-16(P), allows solar arrays as an accessory use on residential, institutional, industrial, or commercial property but bars front-yard placement and front-wall mounting, and caps sloped-roof residential arrays at four inches above the roofline unless hidden behind a parapet.
P. Solar Facilities. ... 1. Solar array is allowed in connection with any residential, institutional, industrial or commercial use when they meet all of the following requirements in addition to the requirements for accessory structures herein shall not: a. Be located in any front yard. b. Be attached to the front elevation of any structure or building. c. Wherever practical and possible, be located on a lot so as not to be visible from the public right-of-way. ... 2. Roof-mounted solar array is permitted in all residential and commercial zones or districts containing residential or commercial uses provided they are integrated into the roof, mounted no higher than four inches (4") above the roof on sloped residential roofs, or are located on a flat roof behind a parapet wall.
Full Breakdown
Solar Facilities are addressed as a specific accessory use under Sec. 10-03-16(P) of Greenwood's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted by Ord. 20-29, Sec. 2 (9-21-2020) and amended by Ord. 21-44, Sec. 1 (10-4-2021). Subsection (P)(1) allows a solar array in connection with any residential, institutional, industrial, or commercial use, provided it meets the accessory-structure requirements elsewhere in the code plus three siting rules: it cannot sit in a front yard, cannot attach to a structure's front elevation, and, wherever practical, must be sited so it is not visible from the public right-of-way.
Subsection (P)(2) permits roof-mounted arrays in all residential and commercial zones as long as they are integrated into the roof and mounted no higher than four inches above a sloped residential roof, or set behind a parapet wall on a flat roof. Subsection (P)(3) adds that no related infrastructure, conduit, mounting hardware, or cabling, may be visible from any right-of-way. The code frames these as zoning-compliance conditions layered on the accessory-structure standards in Sec. 10-03-13 rather than a standalone permit fee schedule, and Community Development Services reviews solar installations for compliance during its regular zoning review.
Violations & Fines
A solar installation that violates the front-yard, front-wall, or roof-height standards is handled as a civil zoning violation under Sec. 10-04-09: the Planning Director issues a warning ticket first, then a $50 citation, rising to $75 for a second citation and $100 for each one after that, with every additional day of noncompliance counted separately. The property owner has 10 working days to appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals before fines resume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install solar panels in my front yard in Greenwood?
How high can a roof-mounted solar array sit in Greenwood?
Who reviews solar panel installations for compliance in Greenwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood
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