St. Clair County, IL Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Any homeowner in unincorporated St. Clair County may install a Personal Solar Energy System (PSES) as an accessory use in any zoning district under Zoning Code Section 40-5-30(B), but no work can start until the Building and Zoning Department reviews a full permit package. Ground-mounted arrays are capped at 10 feet in height, measured from average grade to the highest edge at maximum tilt, and the entire ground-mounted system cannot cover more than 2,500 square feet; a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals is the only way past either limit.

Roof-mounted systems may rise only as high as the underlying structure is allowed to go in that zoning district. Every PSES must sit at least 10 feet back from all property lines and stay out of the required front yard unless the Board grants a variance. Panels must carry a UL listing or equivalent and be documented as non-reflective, showing glare of less than 30 percent, and ground-mounted units must be screened from public view by fencing, walls or plantings, though not so densely that the system stops functioning.

Before the county issues a building permit, the owner submits a site plan showing property lines, structures, septic and field tile locations, setback lines, the location of every panel and electrical line, and the electrical disconnect, plus proof the local electric utility and fire protection district have been notified. A certificate of compliance follows only after a final inspection passes. Larger commercial solar farms are a different track: they need a special use permit and are limited to the Agricultural, I-1 and I-2 industrial districts under Section 40-5-30(C).