solar energy

The township's code addresses standards, limitations, and relevant definitions for residential-scale, farm-scale, and grid-scale solar systems. It includes a section on Solar Energy Facilities that addresses these types of systems (§102-37.3). This section begins with an extensive purposes section and provides goals and definitions.

Outlined are limitations on the permissible size and lot coverage of accessory and principle solar uses, and thresholds for defining principle-use systems. Concentrating or reflective solar technologies are prohibited. Systems of larger sizes require a more strict level of review. Ground-mounted systems of greater than 2,000 square feet must provide meadow grasses or agricultural areas for crops or grazing beneath the structures. Site disturbance must be minimized and site deforestation is prohibited. Decommissioning is required for solar energy facilities out of service for 12 continuous months.

The township code lists required items for site plan approval when required and provides development standards for principal-use solar energy facilities addressing minimum lot size, setbacks, screening, sensitive area avoidance, and prime farmland avoidance. Standards for accessory uses address permits, height, setbacks, screening, and limits on deforestation. Standards for farm-scale solar energy systems address limitations on size and total generation capacity, location, limits on deforestation, setbacks, and prohibition on prime agricultural soils.

In agricultural and mountain residential districts, roof- and ground-mounted accessory systems are permitted (§102.13-B.8). Only roof-mounted systems are permitted In mountain residential district residential cluster developments, the single-family residential district, and the neighborhood commercial district (§102-13.1.A.8; §102-14.B.8; §102-15.B.6). Systems may be roof- or ground-mounted in general and highway commercial zones (§102-15.B.6). Solar energy facilities are conditional uses in research/office/manufacturing and manufacturing districts (§102-16.I).