Scranton, PA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 445-31 governs accessory solar energy systems installed after the chapter's effective date, and subsection K is direct: a permit from the Zoning Officer is required before construction or installation of any solar energy system begins, to document compliance with the section. Installations must meet the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and the state-adopted National Electrical Code, with ground-mounted wiring buried or conduit-protected where possible. Height rules ride on top of, rather than replace, the underlying zoning district: a roof-mounted system on a sloped roof cannot exceed the roof's own high point, one facing the front yard can stand at most 18 inches proud of the roof surface, a flat-roof system can rise up to six feet above the roof, and ground-mounted systems are capped at the district's accessory-structure height and must respect the accessory-use setback measured to the nearest part of the system.

Flat-roof systems visible from the public right-of-way within fifty feet must be screened like other rooftop mechanical equipment. A ground-mounted array counts as impervious lot coverage unless it sits above ground that was already impervious. A(1).