Pottstown, PA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Borough Code § 503 permits solar energy equipment as an accessory use in any zoning district, but only upon receipt of a permit from the Zoning Officer, so installation cannot begin on the strength of a building permit alone. The application must include photographs of the existing property conditions, renderings of the proposed equipment, a description of the screening proposed for ground- or wall-mounted panels, an electrical permit, and the manufacturer's specifications; the Zoning Officer reviews the complete application against the chapter's guidelines and, if satisfied, approves it, with authority to attach reasonable conditions to protect public health, safety and welfare.

General siting rules apply in every district: equipment must sit in the least visibly obtrusive functional location, must meet the zoning district's ordinary setback and height limits, must be designed to avoid reflective glare toward neighboring inhabited structures and adjacent street rights-of-way, and nonfunctioning equipment must be repaired or replaced within three months of failing. Ground-mounted equipment is confined to the side or rear yard and may not exceed 10 feet in height above the ground. Roof- or wall-mounted panels are encouraged to sit flush with the roof plane or be integrated into the roof design, should be placed on a rear- or side-facing roof surface where feasible, and may not project vertically above the roof's peak, or more than five feet above a flat roof.

Where this section conflicts with the then-current International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, or National Electric Code, those codes control over the Borough's zoning section.