Kentucky
Solar Permit Plans.
NEC 2020. KRS 278.465 Full Retail Net Metering.
LG&E · KU · Property Tax Exempt.
Kentucky solar permit plan sets for licensed solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies statewide. LG&E and KU offer full retail net metering for residential solar up to 30 kW under KRS 278.465. Kentucky property tax exemption permanently removes solar from tax assessment. Moderate cold climate: snow loads required. NEC 2020. AHJ-ready for all Kentucky jurisdictions.
LG&E and KU Serve Most of Kentucky With Full Retail Net Metering Under KRS 278.465. Kentucky Property Tax Exemption Is Permanent. Moderate Cold Climate: Snow Loads Required.
Permit Design builds Kentucky solar permit plan sets for licensed solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies statewide. LG&E (also written LGE — Louisville Gas and Electric) and KU (Kentucky Utilities), both PPL Corporation subsidiaries, serve the majority of Kentucky including Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, and surrounding areas. Both offer full retail net metering under KRS 278.465 for residential systems up to 30 kW and commercial systems up to 2 MW. Duke Energy Kentucky serves the Northern Kentucky corridor near Cincinnati.
Kentucky electrical code is NEC 2020. Structural codes are IBC 2018 and IRC 2018. Kentucky has moderate cold climate: ground snow loads of approximately 15 to 20 psf require ASCE 7 cold climate structural calculations. The property tax exemption (KRS 132.020(2)(a)) permanently removes solar system value from property tax assessment.
Permit Design also provides residential solar permit drawings, solar drafting services, pv permit plans, battery permit plans, and ev charger permit packages for Kentucky — all formatted for local AHJ and utility submission.
Kentucky's permitting landscape is shaped by its two primary investor-owned utilities — LG&E (Louisville Gas and Electric) and KU (Kentucky Utilities), both PPL Corporation subsidiaries — and the geographic complication of Duke Energy Kentucky in the Northern Kentucky corridor near Cincinnati. The utility per address determines which interconnection application is required under KRS 278.465. Submitting an LG&E form for a KU address, or a KU form for a Duke Energy Kentucky address in Boone County, results in rejection. We confirm utility per address before building every Kentucky plan set.
Kentucky building permits are administered at the city and county level. Louisville Metro Government (the 2003 merger of Louisville and Jefferson County) and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government both operate consolidated permit offices that simplify the permitting process for Kentucky's two largest cities. Outside these consolidated governments, individual city and county building departments operate independently. Eastern Kentucky Appalachian counties — many with lower solar permit volumes — often have longer plan review timelines and may have less experience with utility-scale or battery storage plan sets. Permit Design formats every Kentucky plan set for the specific AHJ and utility combination confirmed per address.
KRS 278.465 Requires LG&E and KU to Offer Full Retail Net Metering for Residential Solar Up to 30 kW. Northern Kentucky — Confirm Duke Energy Kentucky vs LG&E/KU Per Address.
Kentucky Property Tax Exemption Is Permanent. KRS 278.465 Full Retail Net Metering. No State Income Tax Credit.
| Incentive | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Net Metering (KRS 278.465) | ✅ Active | Full retail 1:1 net metering — residential ≤30 kW, commercial ≤2 MW. Required from LG&E, KU, Duke Energy KY. |
| Kentucky Property Tax Exemption | ✅ Active | KRS 132.020(2)(a) — solar systems permanently exempt from property tax assessment |
| Kentucky State Income Tax Credit | ❌ None | No state solar income tax credit in Kentucky in 2026 |
| Kentucky Sales Tax | ⚠️ Applies | Sales tax generally applies to solar equipment — no general sales tax exemption |
| Federal Residential Tax Credit (25D) | ❌ Expired | Federal 25D residential solar credit expired December 31, 2025 |
NEC 2020. IBC/IRC 2018. Moderate Cold Climate: ~15–20 psf Snow Loads Statewide.
Also doing commercial rooftop, carport, or ground-mount in Kentucky?
Kentucky commercial solar permit plan sets reference IBC 2021 with NEC 2020 electrical throughout. KRS 278.465 requires LG&E, KU, and Duke Energy Kentucky to offer net metering for commercial systems up to 2 MW — a meaningful commercial incentive. Bourbon industry commercial solar: energy-intensive distillery and barrel warehousing operations create significant commercial rooftop demand. Engineering support for flat-roof ballasted arrays, bourbon facility rooftops, carport structures, and ground-mount installations statewide.
LG&E Serves Louisville. KU Serves Lexington and Central Kentucky. Duke Energy Kentucky Serves Northern Kentucky. Each Has Its Own Interconnection Process Under KRS 278.465.
Typical Kentucky Residential Solar Permit: 3 to 6 Weeks From Plan Set to Permission to Operate. Utility Determines Interconnection Application.
Every Kentucky Plan Set: 7 Sheets. NEC 2020. LG&E / KU Interconnection. KRS 278.465 Net Metering. Property Tax Exempt Note.
The Permit Design Commitment — Every Kentucky Project
What every solar installer, EPC, and roofing company can expect on every Kentucky plan set we deliver.
Kentucky Solar Permit Design — Installer FAQ
LG&E (Louisville Gas and Electric) and KU (Kentucky Utilities), both PPL Corporation subsidiaries, serve the majority of Kentucky. LG&E covers Louisville and Jefferson County. KU covers Lexington-Fayette, Frankfort, and most of central and eastern Kentucky. Duke Energy Kentucky serves the Northern Kentucky corridor — Boone County, Kenton County, and Campbell County (Covington, Newport, Florence, Erlanger) — adjacent to Cincinnati. This is the most common utility confusion in Kentucky: Northern Kentucky addresses that feel geographically close to Louisville are actually Duke Energy Kentucky territory, not LG&E. Jackson Purchase Energy (a TVA power distributor) serves western Kentucky including Paducah, Mayfield, and Murray. Big Sandy Electric Cooperative and other rural cooperatives serve Appalachian eastern Kentucky. The utility per address is critical — submitting an LG&E interconnection application for a Duke Energy Kentucky address results in rejection. We confirm utility per address before building every Kentucky plan set.
Yes. Kentucky net metering is governed by KRS 278.465, which requires investor-owned utilities — LG&E, KU, and Duke Energy Kentucky — to offer net metering for residential solar systems up to 30 kW and commercial systems up to 2 MW. Net metering credits every exported kilowatt-hour at the full retail electricity rate, making it a genuine 1:1 net metering market. Monthly excess credits roll forward to the following month's bill. LG&E and KU both offer full retail net metering under this statute, as does Duke Energy Kentucky for Northern Kentucky customers. Kentucky's net metering program is more financially favorable than Alabama's avoided cost program, Tennessee's TVA Dispersed Power Generation program, or Mississippi's limited DG programs — all of which pay below-retail rates for exports. Rural Kentucky cooperative customers should confirm net metering terms with their specific cooperative, as cooperative programs may differ from investor-owned utility programs under KRS 278.465. Kentucky PSC oversees compliance.
Kentucky net metering (KRS 278.465) — full retail rate for residential systems up to 30 kW. Kentucky property tax exemption (KRS 132.020(2)(a)). No state solar income tax credit in Kentucky in 2026. Sales tax generally applies to solar equipment. Federal 25D residential credit expired December 31, 2025.
KRS 132.020(2)(a) permanently exempts solar energy systems from property tax assessment in Kentucky — a full exemption, not a partial deduction like Indiana's IC § 6-1.1-12-26.1. A solar installation that increases a home's assessed value by $20,000 pays zero additional property taxes on that increment, every year, for the full life of the system. At Kentucky's effective property tax rate of approximately 0.65%, the exemption saves approximately $130 per year — or $3,250 over a 25-year system life. The exemption applies automatically to qualifying residential and commercial solar installations with no annual filing or renewal required. Kentucky has no state solar income tax credit in 2026 and sales tax generally applies to solar equipment purchases, making the property tax exemption the only ongoing state-level financial incentive. This permanent, automatic, no-application-required exemption is particularly valuable for long-hold property owners and commercial real estate investors evaluating rooftop solar.
NEC 2020 under the Kentucky Building Code, administered by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (KY DHBC). Kentucky adopted NEC 2020 statewide for all electrical installations including solar PV systems. Article 690 governs Kentucky solar PV system design — including rapid shutdown (§690.12), array wiring, inverter disconnects, and system labeling. Article 706 governs energy storage systems. Article 625 governs EV charging equipment. Some Kentucky municipalities maintain local amendments to the base NEC 2020 adoption. IBC 2018 and IRC 2018 are the current Kentucky structural codes. Kentucky has not adopted NEC 2023 as of 2026. Confirm any local amendments with the specific AHJ — particularly for Louisville Metro and Lexington-Fayette which have active building code programs.
Yes — ASCE 7 cold climate structural calculations are required in every Kentucky solar plan set structural section. Kentucky ground snow loads are approximately 15 to 20 psf across most of the state — moderate by Midwest standards but significant compared to Sun Belt markets where snow loading is zero. Eastern Kentucky Appalachian counties at elevation — Letcher, Pike, Harlan, Bell, and surrounding mountain counties — may see localized ground snow loads of 20 to 30 psf. Confirm ASCE 7 values per address for eastern Kentucky mountain-adjacent projects. Kentucky's snow loads are lower than Indiana (20 to 25 psf statewide) and significantly lower than Michigan or Wisconsin, but they are not negligible and must be included in the structural section. Kentucky AHJs — Louisville Metro Development Services, Lexington-Fayette, and most county building offices — review structural sections for cold climate compliance. Plan sets submitted without Kentucky-specific ASCE 7 snow loading in the structural section fail plan review and require resubmission. Kentucky's mild winters also allow year-round solar installation in most of the state.
Kentucky has no statewide PE stamp requirement for standard residential rooftop solar installations. Louisville Metro, Lexington-Fayette, Northern Kentucky municipalities, and most Kentucky county building departments do not require a PE stamp for standard residential rooftop solar plan sets under approximately 30 kW. Commercial solar installations require PE-stamped structural drawings. Ground-mount systems of all sizes require PE-stamped structural engineering for the foundation and racking design. Bourbon industry commercial rooftop solar — warehouse and distillery rooftops — frequently require PE stamps due to unusual roof loading conditions from barrel storage. Eastern Kentucky rural county building departments may occasionally request PE stamps for residential systems due to unfamiliarity with solar plan sets — confirm per AHJ before ordering. Permit Design coordinates PE stamp services for Kentucky commercial projects upon request.
Most Kentucky residential solar permit plan sets are delivered in 24 to 48 hours from project submission. Battery storage plan sets ship same day when ordered with the solar plan set. Commercial solar plan sets: 3 to 5 business days depending on system complexity and utility territory. EV charger permit plan sets: 24 to 48 hours. All Kentucky residential plan sets include the correct utility interconnection package per address (LG&E, KU, Duke Energy Kentucky, or Jackson Purchase Energy), KRS 278.465 net metering documentation, NEC 2020 Article 690 single-line diagram, ASCE 7 cold climate snow load calcs, structural calculations, and all 7 plan set sheets. Rush delivery available — contact us before ordering to confirm turnaround for your deadline.
Kentucky Is a Full Retail Net Metering Market. Bourbon State Commercial Solar Growing. Moderate Cold Climate With Snow Load Requirements.
New to Permit Design? Your First Kentucky Solar Permit Plan Set Is on Us.
Try our Kentucky plan sets with zero upfront commitment. Permit Design works exclusively with licensed solar installers, EPC companies, and roofing companies. Here's what you get on your first project:
Mention "free trial" in your order notes. One free residential plan set per new partner account. Available exclusively to licensed solar installers, EPC companies, and roofing companies that perform solar installation.
Permit Design builds Kentucky solar permit plan sets for licensed solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies statewide. First plan set free for new installer partners. LG&E, KU, or Duke Energy Kentucky interconnection formatted per address. KRS 278.465 net metering documentation. NEC 2020. Battery plan sets available.
Residential solar permit drawings, solar drafting services, battery permit plans, ev charger permit packages, and pv permit plans all available for Kentucky. Solar drafting services, pv permit plans, battery permit plans, ev charger permit packages, and residential solar permit drawings also available for Kentucky. Utility confirmed per address — LG&E, KU, Duke Energy Kentucky, or Jackson Purchase Energy — before every Kentucky plan set build. KRS 278.465 net metering documentation included in all Kentucky residential plan sets. Property tax exemption note (KRS 132.020(2)(a)) included at no additional charge.
Kentucky Solar Installers Often Serve Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. Permit Design Builds Plan Sets for All Ohio Valley States — With Each State's Utility Programs, Codes, and Incentives.
Top 4 Reasons Kentucky Solar Permits Get Rejected. Every One of These Is Avoidable With a Correct Plan Set.
These are the most common reasons Kentucky solar permit applications are rejected or delayed at plan review — and the reason Permit Design built Kentucky-specific knowledge into every plan set we produce. Every plan set we deliver for Kentucky addresses all four of these issues before submission.
Kentucky Plan Set Guarantee
Every Kentucky plan set is NEC 2020 formatted — LG&E or KU interconnection, KRS 278.465 net metering docs, property tax exemption note, ASCE 7 snow load calcs. Free revisions for any AHJ correction. 24–48 hr turnaround.
Order Now →Last updated: July 2026. Plan sets reviewed by licensed professional engineer for Kentucky structural and electrical compliance.
LG&E and KU (PPL Corporation) full retail NEM (KRS 278.465, residential ≤30 kW) confirmed from KPSC. Property tax exemption (KRS 132.020(2)(a)) confirmed. NEC 2020 Kentucky adoption confirmed. IBC/IRC 2018 confirmed. ASCE 7 Kentucky snow loads (~15–20 psf) confirmed. Duke Energy Kentucky Northern KY territory confirmed. Federal 25D expiration confirmed. Last reviewed July 2026.