Tuscaloosa, AL Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Table V-5 of the accessory uses and structures table lists small-scale solar energy conversion systems as a 'P' (permitted by right) use in all zoning district columns, residential, institutional, business, industrial and planned development alike, meaning no special exception hearing or conditional use review applies just because the accessory use is solar. Section 25-107(w) then lays out four standards that govern where and how the system can be installed. Equipment can go on the roof of a principal or accessory structure, on the side of a structure, on a freestanding pole, or on the ground, provided ground and pole installations still meet the general accessory-structure standards in Section 25-106, including the five-foot minimum setback from side and rear lot lines.

A roof-mounted system gets a height bonus: it may extend up to five feet above the district's normal maximum building height, and if the building it sits on already exceeds the district height limit, the panels can still rise an additional five feet above that existing roofline. The ordinance also requires the equipment to be oriented so it does not cast glare onto adjacent lots, a nuisance-avoidance standard rather than a specific angle or setback. Finally, if a system requires a solar access easement to protect its exposure to sunlight from future construction on neighboring lots, the property owner, not the city, is responsible for negotiating that easement with neighbors and recording it with the county; the city does not broker or guarantee solar access.