Pitt County, NC Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 8(EEEE) of the county's Zoning Ordinance treats a freestanding solar energy facility as a distinct land use with its own approval path. In the Rural Agricultural (RA), Rural Residential (RR) and General Commercial (GC) districts, a developer must obtain Conditional Zoning District approval under Section 14(G), meaning a public hearing and Board of Commissioners sign-off before construction. In the Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial (LI) and General Industrial (GI) districts the same use is permitted by right, provided the development standards in Section 8(EEEE) are met.

An applicant's submittal package must include a project narrative, a site plan showing every panel, inverter, fence, access road and any residence within 100 feet of the facility perimeter, manufacturer drawings, copies of the lease and solar access easement, proof the electric utility has been told about the interconnection (off-grid systems are exempt), decommissioning cost estimates, and signatures from both the property owner and the operator. All components must meet the North Carolina State Building Code and the National Electric Code, be UL listed, carry an anti-reflective coating, and run wiring underground except where it must surface to interconnect. The facility needs a six-foot security fence around its full perimeter and a buffer yard meeting Section 10(H) screening standards. Only one sign, capped at 32 square feet, is allowed on the perimeter fence to post the name, address and emergency contact for the site, plus required warning signs.

If a solar facility sits unused for a continuous 365 days it is legally abandoned. The county notifies the owner, who then has 90 days to remove every obsolete structure and piece of equipment.