Peoria, IL Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Peoria's Unified Development Code classifies solar energy devices as a residential accessory structure under Sections 5.4.1(A) and 5.4.2(B), placing them in the same by-right category as swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, and gazebos. Because accessory structures are "allowed by right in conjunction with a permitted principal use," a homeowner does not need a special use application, Development Review Board hearing, or Planning and Zoning Commission approval to add solar panels to a house that already has a principal residential use on the lot. The Code defines a Solar Energy Device as "ground mounted equipment used to convert solar radiation into a useable form of energy for the purpose of reducing or meeting the energy needs of the property's principal use."

The zoning code's single siting limit applies to ground-mounted arrays: Section 5.4.2(F) prohibits placing them in front yards or corner-side yards, steering ground units to side and rear yards instead. Roof-mounted panels are not swept into that restriction. Homeowners installing a large, commercial-scale array should note that Peoria treats that differently: a Solar Utility Facility, defined as a commercial ground-mounted system that distributes or sells power off-site, is a distinct use under Section 5.3.2(F) that must meet the principal building setback of the underlying zoning district and enclose the site with a security fence capped at 6 feet outside the I-2 and I-3 industrial districts, and 8 feet inside them. A residential rooftop or backyard system supplying only the homeowner's own house does not trigger those commercial standards.