Owensboro, KY Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Owensboro regulates solar energy systems (SES) through Appendix F Section 8.2's Zones and Uses Table, which lists three tiers, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 SES, under Use Group K, Public and Semi-Public, each cross-referenced to Note 59 in Section 8.4. Note 59(a) caps the height of any ground-mounted SES at 20 feet, measured from the highest natural grade beneath each panel, and excludes utility poles and antennas built for the project from that limit. Note 59(b) ties Level 1 and Level 2 systems to the ordinary setback table for whatever zone the parcel sits in, so a rooftop or small ground array on a residential lot follows the same yard rules as any other accessory structure.

Level 3 systems, the utility-scale projects, carry their own setback package under Note 59(c): equipment sits at least 75 feet from the project's perimeter property lines, though a non-participating landowner can waive that setback; no interior setback applies where the project spans several contiguous parcels; equipment other than inverters stays at least 150 feet from any residential structure; inverters specifically must sit at least 450 feet from a residential structure; and equipment stays at least 500 feet from any county park. Note 59(d) through (f) add screening, fencing, and lighting conditions, and Note 59(g) and (h) require a decommissioning plan, a security bond, and a countywide cap on the acreage of prime farmland that can host Level 3 systems, all administered jointly by the Zoning Administrator and the Daviess County Fiscal Court.