Written answers
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Planning Issues
Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the installation of solar photovoltaic cells on residential housing units; his plans to amend current planning guidelines and or introduce legislative measures to allow for additional PV cells to be installed at households greater than the current restrictions allow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57773/12]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Statutory Instrument No. 83 of 2007 (Planning and Development Regulations 2007) introduced an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission for solar panels on a house or on any building within the curtilage of a house. The exemption is subject to certain conditions and limitations, as set out in the table below. The exemption was introduced following public consultation. While I have no plans to change the Regulations at the present time, the matter will be kept under review.
| Column 1:Exemption | Column 2: Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|
| The installation or erection of a solar panel on or within the curtilage of a house or any buildings within the curtilage of house. | 1. The total aperture area of any such panel, taken together with any other such panel previously placed on or within the said curtilage shall not exceed 12 square metres or 50% of the total roof area whichever is the lesser. |
| 2. The distance between the plane of the wall or a pitched roof and the panel shall not exceed 15 centimetres. | |
| 3. The distance between the plane of a flat roof and the panel shall not exceed 50 centimetres. | |
| 4. The solar panel shall be a minimum of 50cm from any edge of the wall or roof on which it is mounted. | |
| 5. The height of a free-standing solar array shall not exceed 2 metres, at its highest point, above ground level. | |
| 6. A free-standing solar array shall not be placed on or forward of the front wall of a house. | |
| 7. The erection of any free standing solar array shall not reduce the area of private open space, reserved exclusively for the use of the occupants of the house, to the rear or to the side of the house to less than 25 square metres. |
Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the installation of solar photovoltaic cells on commercial and industrial units; his plans to amend current planning guidelines and or introduce legislative measures to allow for additional PV cells to be installed at business premises greater than the current restrictions allow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57774/12]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Statutory Instrument No. 235 of 2008 (Planning and Development Regulations 2008) introduced an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission for photo-voltaic solar panels on industrial buildings, light industrial buildings or business premises. The exemptions are subject to certain conditions and limitations, as set out in the table below. The exemptions were introduced following public consultation. While I have no plans to change the Regulations at the present time, the matter will be kept under review.
| Column 1:Exemption | Column 2: Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|
| The installation or erection on or within the curtilage of an industrial building, or any ancillary buildings within the curtilage of an industrial building, of solar panels (thermal collector or photo-voltaic). | 1. The distance between the plane of the wall or a pitched roof and the panel shall not exceed 1 metre. |
| 2. The distance between the plane of a flat roof and the panel shall not exceed 2 metres. | |
| 3. The solar panel shall be a minimum of 50cm from the edge of the wall or roof on which it is mounted. | |
| 4. The total aperture area of any wall mounted panel, or free-standing solar array shall not exceed 50 square metres. | |
| 5. Any equipment associated with the panels, including water tanks, shall be located within the roof space of the building. | |
| 6. The height of a free-standing solar array shall not exceed 2 metres, at its highest point, above ground level. | |
| 7. No sign, advertisement or object, not required for the functioning or safety of the panel shall be attached to or exhibited on the panels. | |
| The installation or erection on a business premises or light industrial building, or any ancillary buildings within the curtilage of such premises or building, of photo-voltaic solar panels. | 1. The total aperture area of any such panels, taken together with any other such panel previously placed on or within the said curtilage, shall not exceed 50 square metres or 50% of the total roof area, whichever is the lesser. |
| 2. The distance between the plane of the wall and the panel shall not exceed 15cm. | |
| 3. The distance between the plane of a pitched roof and the panel shall not exceed: (a) 50cm in the case of a light industrial building. (b) 15cm in the case of a business premises. | |
| 4. The distance between the plane of a flat roof and the panel shall not exceed: (a) 2 metres in the case of a light industrial building. (b) 1 metre in the case of a business premises. | |
| 5. The solar panel shall be a minimum of 50cm from the edge of the wall or pitched roof on which it is mounted, or 2 metres in the case of a flat roof. | |
| 6. The total aperture area of any wall mounted panel, or free-standing solar array shall not exceed 25 square metres. 7. Any equipment associated with the panels, including water tanks, shall be located within the roof space of the building. | |
| 8. The height of a free-standing solar array shall not exceed 2 metres, at its highest point, above ground level. | |
| 9. A free-standing solar array shall not be located forward of the front wall of the building or premises. | |
| 10. No sign, advertisement or object, not required for the functioning or safety of the turbine shall be attached to or exhibited on the panels. |
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