Catawba County, NC Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Catawba County regulates ground-mounted residential solar panels through the accessory-structure section of its Unified Development Ordinance rather than a stand-alone solar ordinance. Sec. 44-607(1)g states that, within residential districts, ground-mounted solar panels are prohibited in the front yard and may not exceed 12 feet in height. Because this rule sits inside Sec. 44-607's accessory-structure standards, a ground-mounted array is treated procedurally like a shed or detached garage: it cannot be permitted unless a principal structure exists on the same zoning lot or a building permit for a principal structure has been issued at the same time the accessory structure permit is issued, and it must otherwise meet the accessory-structure setbacks in Sec.

44-607(1), including at least five feet of separation from the house and the ten-foot side/five-foot rear lot-line minimums. Roof-mounted panels are handled differently: Sec. 44-524, the county's mechanical-equipment screening rule, carves out an exception to the screening requirement made for photo-voltaic (solar) panels, so rooftop solar does not have to be hidden behind parapets or screening the way rooftop HVAC units do. Large-scale solar development is governed separately: Sec. 25 times estimated decommissioning cost or $75,000, whichever is greater, none of which applies to a residential rooftop or yard installation covered by Sec. 44-607(1)g.