You've found the perfect spot for a ground-mount solar array. Maybe it's a back field on your farm or an open lot behind your facility. The savings look great. Then a new question comes up: will your township actually let you build it?

The short answer is that it depends on how your local zoning ordinance treats solar. Some projects get approved with a simple application in two to three weeks. Others go through public hearings, need a lawyer, and take 6 to 12 months. A few can't move forward at all.

The good news is that you can find out which path you're on before you sign a contract. Below, we'll walk you through why zoning for solar is getting harder, the four ways a township can approve a project, the costs to plan for, and how Paradise Energy checks your site's zoning requirements before you sign a contract with us.

One quick note: most of what follows applies to ground-mount systems. Rooftop solar usually faces far fewer zoning hurdles. If you're still deciding between the two, see our ground mount vs. roof mount comparison.

* This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Zoning rules vary by municipality and change often. For guidance on a specific project, consult a qualified attorney and the Paradise Energy Solar Consultant team.

Why Is Zoning for Solar Getting Harder?

In short, data centers. Data center development has exploded across the country. Many local governments have responded by tightening their zoning ordinances to control large commercial land uses.

The challenge is that solar often gets lumped in with those projects. A 250 kW array on a farm is very different from a massive data center campus. But under some new ordinances, both are treated as major commercial developments.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Rules are changing fast. Townships nationwide have been updating or creating new ordinances since 2024. In many cases, projects already in progress weren't grandfathered in under the old rules.
• Small systems are getting swept up. Some new ordinances treat systems as small as 10 kW, even residential ones, the same way they treat large power generators.
• The stakes are higher. When zoning problems surface after a contract is signed, they can mean surprise costs, long delays, or a project that can't be built.

This is also why a neighbor's easy install a few years ago doesn't guarantee yours will go the same way.

First, What Is Zoning?

Zoning is a set of local government rules that divides a town or township into sections. It controls how land and buildings can be used in each section. (In Maryland, zoning is typically handled at the county level, but it works much the same way.)

When a township reviews a solar project, one of the first things it looks at is how the system will be used. Nearly every solar project falls into one of two buckets:

What Happens When the Grid Comes Back On

SMA designs the system for an automatic, seamless transition in both directions, into backup mode when the grid goes down, and back to normal grid power once it’s restored. You shouldn’t need to flip anything by hand or reset the system yourself when the outage ends. From there, your system goes back to working like any other grid-tied solar system.

What Backup Select Can't Do (and Where It Falls Short)

It only works when the sun is shining. Backup Select has no battery, so it can only supply power while your solar panels are actively producing it. Rob put it plainly: backup lasts "from sunrise to sunset," which averages 7 to 8 hours of coverage. Once the sun goes down, your protected circuits lose power too, unless you've added a battery. If your area tends to have multi-day outages, that's a real limitation to plan for, and a battery or generator may be a better solution.

It won't stretch past what your system can produce. If you overload the circuits you selected, for example, plugging in an extra space heater on a cloudy day, the system doesn't damage your equipment. It simply shuts down and will try to restart automatically. You may need to unplug the space heater or flip that breaker off to lower the load. Unlike a smart electrical panel and some battery systems, Backup Select doesn't automatically prioritize which loads matter more. It's a simple, reliable system, but that simplicity means you manage the load, not software, which has its pros and cons. 

It covers only 1-pole breakers (120-volt circuits). Backup Select works with 1-pole breakers (120V) only. It doesn't cover larger 240-volt, 2-pole loads, like central air conditioning, an electric oven or range, or a heavy-duty well pump. If those are must-haves during an outage, this isn't the right solution for you.

The warranty is shorter than your inverter's. Sunny Boy Smart Energy inverters carry a 10-year warranty, extendable to 25 years. The Backup Select device itself carries a 2-year warranty. Breakers typically carry a 1-year warranty. They're not the same coverage, so ask your installer to spell out both terms clearly before you sign anything. If something goes wrong with the automatic transfer during an actual outage, your first call should be to your installer's service team, the same way you'd handle any other equipment issue on your system.

Where Does It Get Installed, and What Equipment Is Required?

The Backup Select box is rated NEMA 3R, which means it's weatherproof enough for indoor or outdoor mounting. Larry installed his in his utility room, right next to his main electrical panel, which is the most common setup. It's a compact unit, about 14” x 23” x 9” and just over 15 pounds, mounted to the wall with an included bracket.

Because it works with your existing solar equipment and taps into circuits you already have, adding Backup Select doesn't require the extra construction that a full battery backup does.

Larry made this comparison from his own install: with Backup Select, he has one box in his electrical room, and that's it. If he'd gone with a battery system instead, he would have needed a separate automatic transfer switch plus a good-sized battery, both taking up their own wall space. That's a meaningful difference in equipment footprint, not just price.

Backup Select is also flexible about what it pairs with on the solar side. It works with any solar panel brand, roof mount or ground mount, and main panels rated 100, 150, or 200 amps. The only requirement is on the inverter side: it’s built specifically to work with SMA’s Sunny Boy Smart Energy inverter. (New to inverters? Here’s how solar inverters work.)

So you'll need to go with Sunny Boy inverters if you're designing a new system. If you have an existing system with aging inverters, consider replacing them with Sunny Boy Smart Energy inverters and add Backup Select at the same time. If you're weighing that kind of upgrade, our guide on adding batteries to an existing solar system walks through how inverter compatibility typically works for retrofits.

SMA Backup Select Specs at a Glance

Here are the key numbers in one place:

What Does SMA Backup Select Cost?

Compared to a home solar battery system, Backup Select is very inexpensive.

SMA’s Backup Select device costs roughly $1,000, including the backup box and the labor to wire in your selected circuits. Plus, you will need to change your inverters to SMA’s Sunny Boy Smart Energy inverters if you don’t already have them. This adds roughly $1,500 to $3,000 for each inverter, which is the average price range of a residential solar inverter.

A basic home solar battery system starts around $21,000, and advanced whole-home backup runs $85,000 or more. To size a battery for your own home, try our battery calculator.

SMA Backup Select vs. Your Other Backup Options

There's no single "best" backup option. It depends on how much coverage you need, how often you actually lose power, and what you're willing to spend. Here's how the main options stack up:

Backup Select vs. batteries: Backup Select is the lower-cost, lower-complexity option, but it trades away nighttime coverage and whole-home reach. A battery costs significantly more and takes up more space, but it can supply power day and night. Some use a battery alongside Backup Select to cover nighttime or extended outages.

Backup Select vs. a generator: A generator can often cover more of your home and run at night, since it doesn't depend on sunlight. But it comes with its own trade-offs: fuel storage, engine maintenance, noise, and typically a bigger upfront investment. Backup Select has no engine, no fuel, and nothing to maintain beyond your normal solar system. A generator can be a good companion to Backup Select if you want to ensure you have a source of power at night. Our guide on pairing a generator with solar battery backup covers how that combination typically works.

Backup Select vs. no backup at all: If you've never had backup power, even 7 to 8 hours of automatic coverage for your fridge, freezer, and a few outlets is a meaningful upgrade for a relatively small add-on cost.

Is SMA Backup Select Right for You? A Self-Fit Checklist

Backup Select is probably a good fit if:

• You mostly experience short, occasional daytime outages
• You want your fridge, freezer, Wi-Fi, gas appliances, and a few outlets and lights covered without the high cost of batteries
• You don't need to have major 2-pole 240-volt loads that need to run during an outage
• You want backup power added to your project for a relatively small cost
• You're open to adding a battery down the road if your needs change

You should look at a battery system or generator instead if:

• You want your entire house backed up, including central air, an electric range, or a large well pump
• You have medical equipment that needs guaranteed power, like a CPAP machine or similar critical device
• You regularly experience extended outages of four or five days or more, such as from hurricanes or major storms
• You need backup power overnight, not just during daylight hours

Is SMA Backup Select Right For Your Family?

The biggest mistake homeowners make is assuming all backup solutions are priced similarly. In reality, the optimal solution depends on the loads you want to protect, your outage history, and your budget.

The next step is to talk with a solar consultant to map your actual circuits, estimate backup performance, and determine whether Backup Select, battery storage, or another approach delivers the best value.

Get a free quote, and we'll help you figure out what actually makes sense for your home, not just what sounds impressive on paper.