Sec. 5.1.66

Energy facilities are not permitted within any large forest block with a score of 4.1 or greater as shown on 'Map 2: Ranking the Conservation Value of Large Forest Blocks' in the Biodiversity Action Plan.

By-right projects must not disturb more than ten acres in the aggregate of habitat cores, forest blocks, or corridors connecting habitat areas, as these features are identified in the Comprehensive Plan/Biodiversity Action Plan, except that the Board of Supervisors may permit disturbance of more than ten acres by special exception.

All ground-mounted solar energy facilities with a fenced area of two acres or greater must obtain Gold Certified Virginia Pollinator Smart status within three years of issuance of a building permit.

No energy facility may be located within riparian buffers, nontidal wetlands, and floodplains, each as defined in Chapter 17 of the Albemarle County Code.

The maximum height of panels, buildings, structures, and other components of a solar facility is 20 feet, as measured from the highest natural grade below each element.

The maximum height of the lowest edge of all ground-mounted photovoltaic panels is ten feet as measured from the finished grade.

Except for any outdoor lighting required by federal law: a. Outdoor lighting is permitted only during maintenance periods. b. Regardless of the lumens emitted, each outdoor luminaire must be fully shielded to the standard of section 4.17.

Ground-mounted accessory solar energy facilities located outside the Rural Areas (RA) zoning district are limited to 500 square feet of fenced area, or 400 square feet of panel zone when placed over existing pervious areas.

Accessory solar energy facilities, whether roof- or ground-mounted, are subject to the applicable structure setbacks of the zoning district in which the facility is located.

Any solar energy facility with greater than one acre of fenced area within five nautical miles of a licensed airport must provide the Chief Operation Officer of the airport with both (i) written notice stating the system's location, technology to be used, and total land coverage; and (ii) a glint/glare study.

Battery energy storage facilities must have the following setbacks: a. 100 feet from adjacent parcels not under common ownership, and all public rights-of-way; and b. 300 feet from dwellings on adjacent parcels not under common ownership.

Notwithstanding any exemption in County Code Chapter 17, all ground-mounted energy facilities whose total land disturbance area, including the horizontal projected areas underneath panels, is at least 10,000 square feet, must comply with County Code Chapter 17.

Solar facilities that have reached the end of their operation or have not been in active and continuous service for a period of six months must be removed at the owner's or operator's expense. Decommissioning must include removal of all electric systems, buildings, cabling, electrical components, security barriers, roads, foundations, pilings, and any other associated facilities, so that any agricultural ground upon which the facility and/or system was located is again tillable and suitable for agricultural uses.

Any fencing on the interior of the buffer/screening area of ground-mounted energy facilities may not be at a height of less than 61 inches or greater than 96 inches (inclusive of razor/barbed wire).

Energy facilities must maintain sufficient separation between rows of photovoltaic panels or battery energy storage facilities to provide fire access and meet clear zone requirements.

Ground-mounted solar energy facilities with greater than 21 fenced acres, are subject to the following setbacks: a. 100 feet from adjacent parcels, not under common ownership, and all public rights-of-way; and b. 300 feet from dwellings on adjacent parcels, not under common ownership.

By-right ground mounted solar energy facilities in the Rural Areas (RA) zoning district are limited to a maximum of 21 acres of fenced area on any parcel in existence at the time of adoption of this ordinance.

By-right projects must not disturb either (a) more than 10 acres of prime farmland (as determined/identified by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service) and/or (b) areas used for an agricultural activity within the five years preceding an application, unless portions of the parcels used for the facility will continue to be used for an agricultural activity.

Energy facilities with a fenced area of at least ten acres must be screened from public streets and abutting parcels not under common ownership. Screening provided must meet the screening level provided by a triple staggered row of evergreen trees and screening shrubs planted 15 feet on center with screening shrubs making up not more than 33 percent of the plantings and equally dispersed.

Notwithstanding section 32.2, a site plan is not required for an energy facility, but the energy facility is subject to the requirements of section 32.

Any new associated electrical transmission lines, whether connecting internal portions of the project or connecting to a switchyard, substation, or point of interconnection, and whether above or below ground, must be located in a manner to minimize intrusiveness and mitigate their impact to surrounding parcels.