14 October 2018 - Hollowbay, Hadra -
Decreasing costs and increasing interest in solar technology have inspired officials in Hollowbay to adopt an amendment to the city's zoning ordinance which has put in place a set of basic regulations designed to govern the use of solar panels.
Council members adopted the new regulations, which cover the placement and scale of individual solar panels installed by residents, as well as those installed as part of commercial-scale systems, during a board meeting on the 12th of October.
Included in the regulations are definitions for building-mounted solar energy collectors, ground-mounted solar energy collectors and commercial solar energy systems; requirements that those seeking to install solar panels must apply for a permit, receive zoning approval and submit unit renderings and plan details; and other provisions, some of which relate to glare/reflection, physical location and abandonment.
"In essence, if a homeowner or a business wanted to install mounted solar panels in accordance with the general guidelines, they could do so with the issuance of a building permit," City Planner Albert Sunduski said.
"If they chose to install solar panels in the rear yard, those would be dealt with as a special use permit through the Planning Commission, so that covers the consumer-scale type of solar panel."
Sunduski said the regulations cover basic standards and special use requirements for commercial-scale solar farms, as well, which are allowed to operate in industrial and agricultural zones within the city.
"One example would be a farmer who chooses to lease 3 or 5 or 10 acres to an industry that is in the business of providing solar collection," he said. "They could do so and that would be dealt with under these provisions. The larger operations would be by special use permit, so there would be a public hearing involving the neighbors and so forth; the basic ones ... would be by building permit."
Building officials will have some discretion as to whether or not solar panels are installed properly, Sunduski said, as provided for under the regulations.
The city's Planning Commission initially reviewed the regulations in August before holding a public hearing in late September and ultimately recommending their approval to the city council.
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