North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 160D. Local Planning and Development Regulation § 160D-914. Solar collectors

(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no local government development regulation shall prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, the installation of a solar collector that gathers solar radiation as a substitute for traditional energy for water heating, active space heating and cooling, passive heating, or generating electricity for a residential property, and no person shall be denied permission by a local government to install a solar collector that gathers solar radiation as a substitute for traditional energy for water heating, active space heating and cooling, passive heating, or generating electricity for a residential property. As used in this section, the term “residential property” means property where the predominant use is for residential purposes.

(b) This section does not prohibit a development regulation regulating the location or screening of solar collectors as described in subsection (a) of this section, provided the regulation does not have the effect of preventing the reasonable use of a solar collector for a residential property.

(c) This section does not prohibit a development regulation that would prohibit the location of solar collectors as described in subsection (a) of this section that are visible by a person on the ground and that are any of the following:

(d) In any civil action arising under this section, the court may award costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to the prevailing party.