Stonecrest, GA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Integrated (built-in) solar
- Accessory use (Pa) in all 24 districts
- Rooftop solar, RE/RNC/M/M-2
- Permitted accessory use (Pa)
- Rooftop solar elsewhere
- Needs SA administrative permit
- Small ground-mount, residential
- Needs SP special land use permit
- Permit issuer for SA
- Community Development Director
- Appeal path
- Zoning Board of Appeals, Article 7
Summary
In the City of Stonecrest, whether a solar installation needs a full permit or just a signature depends on the district and the system type. Zoning Table 4.1 lets rooftop solar operate as an accessory use by right only in the RE, RNC, M and M-2 districts; every other residential, office, commercial and mixed-use district needs a special administrative permit from the community development director, per the key in Sec. 4.1.3.
KEY: P - Permitted use Pa - Permitted as an accessory use SA - Special administrative zoning permit from Community Development Director SP - Special land use permit (SLUP) *Blank = not permitted Use RE RLG R-100 R-85 R-75 R-60 RSM MR-1 MR-2 HR-1,2,3 MHP RNC OI OIT NS C-1 C-2 OD M M-2 MU-1 MU-2 MU-3 MU-4,5 See Section 4.2 ... Rooftop SES Pa SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA Pa SA SA SA SA SA SA Pa Pa SA SA SA SA ✓ Ground Mounted SES, Small Scale Pa SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa P P SP SP SP SP ✓
Full Breakdown
Table 4.1's key sets four tracks for any use, solar included: a permitted use (P) needs only the standard building permit; an accessory use (Pa) is allowed automatically alongside the principal building; a special administrative (SA) use needs the administrative zoning permit procedure the Community Development Director runs under Article 7; and a special use (SP) needs the heavier special land use permit process, also under Article 7 (Sec. 4.1.3.A). Solar is split by system type. An integrated SES, panels built into the structure itself, is Pa, an automatic accessory use, in every one of the city's 24 base zoning districts.
A rooftop SES is only Pa by right in the RE estate district, the RNC district, and the M and M-2 industrial districts; everywhere else, from R-100 through the MU-4,5 mixed-use districts, a rooftop system needs the SA administrative permit before installation. Ground-mounted, small-scale systems are more restricted still: they need the full SP special land use permit in most residential and office districts, drop to Pa in the M and M-2 industrial districts, and are outright permitted (P) only in the MU-4,5 mixed-use districts.
If a solar use or configuration is not addressed by the table, Sec. 4.1.2 lets the director of planning permit it by comparison to a listed use; a denial of that interpretation, or of any permit under this section, can be appealed to the zoning board of appeals under Article 7 (Sec. 4.1.3.B).
Violations & Fines
Installing a rooftop or ground-mounted solar array without the SA or SP approval the table requires is an unauthorized use citywide under Sec. 4.1.3.B. That exposes the property to the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-11: a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 120 days in jail, or both, with each day the unpermitted system remains in place charged as a separate, continuing offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put solar panels on my roof?
What's the difference between an SA and SP solar permit?
Can I install a ground-mounted solar array in a residential yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stonecrest
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