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Article 5: Uses <br /> Section 5.9: Standards for Utilities <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Orange County, North Carolina – Unified Development Ordinance Page 5-108 <br /> <br />c. Have a collector area of less than or equal to 1,000 <br />square feet (for thermal). <br />(ii) Non-residential <br />a. Limits shall be based on the average electricity, storage <br />volume, and thermal collector area necessary to support <br />the needs of the proposed facility, <br />(c) Device(s) shall provide power for the principal use of the property on <br />which it is located and shall not be installed and/or used solely for <br />income generation purposes where power is sold either to a utility <br />provider or other similar third party entity. <br />This provision shall be in no way construed as limiting the ability of the <br />property owner to: <br />(i) Transfer or sell excessive power generated onsite back to the <br />utility provider or other third party entity or <br />(ii) Receive credit from a local utility provider for the power <br />generated onsite as a means to offset utility bills. <br />(d) The property owner shall provide the County with written authorization <br />from the local utility company acknowledging and approving the utility <br />connection. <br />(e) The site plan shall denote the location of any batteries or other similar <br />storage devices onsite. <br />(f) Panels shall be designed and oriented on the property such that <br />concentrated solar radiation or glare shall not be directed onto nearby <br />properties or road rights-of-way, or otherwise create a safety hazard. <br />(g) As part of the site plan submittal, the applicant shall be required to <br />submit documentation detailing the proposed array will not alter, or <br />require alteration of, any condition imposed as part of a previous <br />approval allowing for the development and use of the property. <br />(h) All mechanical equipment associated with, and necessary for, the <br />operation of the array shall be shielded to avoid damage. This shielding <br />may take the form of a small enclosed structure properly vented to allow <br />for air flow, fence, or landscape hedge. <br />(i) Mechanical equipment shall not be located within the required setback <br />areas for the underlying zoning district as detailed within Article 3 or <br />within required landscaped areas as required under Section 6.8. <br />(j) Before commencement of earth disturbing activities, the property owner <br />must acknowledge that he/she is the responsible party for owning and <br />ensuring the perpetual maintenance of the solar array. <br />(k) In cases where a solar array has not been in operation for a period of 6 <br />months due to a malfunction or other defect the property owner shall <br />affect repair(s) to the system within 30 days of notice from the County in <br />accordance with Section 9.5 of the UDO. <br />In cases were the array has been deemed unsafe it shall be removed or <br />repaired immediately in accordance with Section 9.5.5 of the UDO. <br />(2) Standards for Building Mounted Devices: <br />(a) An array may be mounted on the roof of a principal or an accessory <br />structure located on the property. <br /> 94