St. Peters, MO Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 405.536(B) applies to construction or installation of all roof- and ground-mounted solar panels and requires accessory installations to provide documentation to the Planning Department verifying compliance with the City's renewable energy requirements before work proceeds. The same subsection bars using a solar array to display advertising, streamers, pennants or banners, permits only manufacturer or ownership markings, requires abandoned systems (defined as not operating for 90 days) to be repaired or removed within 90 days at owner expense, and requires all power transmission lines to any building or utility pole to run underground.

Subsection (C) sets the accessory-use standards: roof-mounted panels are permitted in every zoning district and, on a pitched roof, must be mounted flush or parallel to the roof plane, with parallel mounts sitting no more than 8 inches above the roof surface; no part of a panel may extend past the roof edge unless the Planning Department approves it as an integrated architectural feature such as an awning. Panels projecting from a flat roof must be screened on all four sides with material matching the building's architecture.

Ground-mounted panels are likewise permitted in every zoning district as an accessory use, must meet the district's building setback and lot coverage rules, cannot exceed 3 feet in height, must have the ground beneath them kept tidy with mulch, landscaping rock or similar material, and if removed, the disturbed earth must be graded and reseeded. Panels also cannot direct concentrated solar radiation or glare onto neighboring properties or roadways, cross-referencing the City's off-street parking lighting standard in Section 405.550(C).