Richmond, VA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

9(k), part of the code's yards-and-courts encroachment list alongside chimneys, bay windows and porches, is the specific rule letting a Richmond property owner mount solar panels without triggering a yard setback violation. Because roofs routinely extend into the space above a required front, side or rear yard, the code treats a low-profile solar array, one adding no more than 12 inches to the existing roofline, as part of that already-permitted roof rather than as new construction needing its own yard clearance. 110:3, falls outside this specific carve-out and would need to meet the district's ordinary yard and height standards on its own.

1 requires plans and specifications sufficient to show compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. 1 exempts solar installations using alternative support structures from being counted as an increase in a nonconforming height or yard feature.