Walker County, GA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Walker County Code § 22-334 requires any solar energy system (SES) seeking a Special Use Permit to first sit in a C-1 commercial or I industrial zone; residential and agricultural land does not qualify for a permitted SES. The array must be set back from the property line the distance required for its zone under Section 22-181, and the installation has to be ringed by a security fence or wall at least 6 feet tall with screening vegetation planted outside the fence line. A grid-tied system needs a signed proof-of-concept letter from the local utility acknowledging the interconnection before the county will issue the permit, and the applicant must submit a ground mounting plan, which can be the manufacturer's standard installation drawings.

Required signage at every entrance must list the manufacturer, installer, owner and operator with phone numbers, plus a 24-hour emergency contact and a warning about contact hazards; no other advertising is allowed on the fence. Panels must be built of, or treated with, non-reflective material to prevent glare, and any required lighting must point downward, use full cut-off fixtures, rely on motion sensors where feasible, and avoid interfering with nearby airport flight patterns. All power lines from the panels to the interconnection point must run underground.

Before operating, the owner must file a written emergency response plan approved by the Planning Department, Fire Department and Emergency Management Agency, updated every January. A separate building/development permit is required in addition to the special use permit. Once a system stops generating electricity, decommissioning must begin within 12 months, with all structures removed and the site reseeded with vegetation within 6 months of removal.