Yorba Linda, CA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 18.10.110(F) of the Yorba Linda Municipal Code governs solar energy systems in every residential zone, covering both rooftop panels and ground-mounted arrays that fall outside the state's small-residential-rooftop carve-out in Government Code Section 65850.5(j)(3) (that faster track is handled separately under Section 18.10.140). Where practical, solar collector panels must be roof mounted, while solar storage tanks and associated equipment are required to be ground mounted. Roof-mounted collectors must sit flush at or as close as possible to the roof's pitch and, where feasible, in the location least visible from public streets without cutting into their operating efficiency.

Equipment appurtenant to the collectors, including plumbing, electrical and related fixtures, must be installed inside the structure carrying the panels where feasible, or otherwise screened from public view, and any ground-mounted appurtenant equipment outside a building has to meet standard setback requirements. Hot water storage tanks must sit inside an enclosed structure, and if placed in a garage, the tank and its equipment cannot encroach into the required parking area. Ground-mounted systems themselves must conform to the main structure's setback requirements and be screened so they aren't visible from public rights-of-way.

If the Building Official makes a finding, based on substantial evidence, that a system such as a nonconforming ground-mounted array or a roof-mounted reverse-racked system could have a specific, adverse impact on public health and safety, the homeowner must obtain a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission under the procedure in Government Code Section 65850.5. The City is barred from conditioning any solar permit approval on sign-off from a homeowners' association as defined in Civil Code Section 4080.