Battery storage land in Fauquier County, Virginia

Start with the parcel and the actual review route

Fauquier’s online zoning directory identifies its published ordinance as amended through July 9, 2026. It also says the official ordinance, including recently adopted amendments, is maintained in the Zoning Office. Ask the project team to confirm the current requirements with the county for the proposed use.

Give the team the actual parcel location and known agreements. A mailing address does not establish the zoning district or governing jurisdiction. If the property is within a town, confirm whose zoning review applies before relying on county standards.

Ask for a short explanation of the approval route. Keep a standalone storage proposal separate from an addition to an approved solar site. Virginia has a statutory route for qualifying solar-site additions; whether it applies needs review of the actual proposal and existing approvals.

This guide uses the county’s published battery standards to identify questions for an owner. It does not determine that a particular parcel is eligible, that a project is approved or that the grid has space for it.

Reference: Fauquier County: zoning ordinance directory, published amendments through July 9, 2026 · Fauquier County: zoning administration and parcel questions · Virginia Code: qualifying storage additions to approved solar projects

Ask which line each distance is measured from

Section 5-2004 distinguishes setbacks from the project fence or wall, battery enclosure spacing inside that boundary and a landscape strip measured from project boundaries. For example, its published text specifies a 100-foot fence-to-property-line setback, a separate 100-foot battery-to-fence spacing and a landscape strip at least 50 feet wide.

Do not add these figures together and treat the result as a ready-made layout. Ask the project designer to label each measurement, its starting line and its applicable requirement on the drawing. Other site features and the actual review route also need consideration.

Compare that drawing with the area proposed in the land agreement. Find out whether the lease boundary includes the fence setback, planting area, entrance and maintenance access. If the company wants rights over land outside the lease, ask for those rights to be described separately.

Walk through what you would still be able to do beside the project. Discuss farming, parking, buildings, subdivision plans and access to land behind it. An area outside the fence is not automatically available for every use you have in mind.

Reference: Fauquier County: Article 5, section 5-2004, additional battery storage standards

Agree on the land used for screening

Ask for the planting area to appear on the same drawing as the equipment and proposed land rights. Find out where the developer expects screening to go and how that affects your retained ground. Do not leave its location to be resolved after the lease is signed.

Ask who installs, waters, replaces and maintains the plants. Discuss access for that work and responsibility if planting fails. If your existing trees are part of the proposed screen, ask whether the agreement would restrict trimming or removal.

Talk about views from your home and places you use regularly. A layout should help you understand what would be visible and where equipment, fencing and access would sit. Request revised drawings if the proposal moves closer to an occupied area.

Keep maintenance responsibilities clear through the project’s life and at removal. Would the screen remain afterward, be removed or need a separate decision? Tell the team which landscaping you would want to keep and what use you expect to make of that ground.

Review the road and utility route at the same time

The published battery standards also address road access and new utility routes. A parcel’s frontage does not settle whether its entrance and road arrangement fit the actual proposal. Ask the team to identify the applicable county requirement and any decision still needed.

Request the route for construction deliveries, normal maintenance and emergency access. Discuss turns, gates, waiting areas and shared entrances. If the project would use a private road or someone else’s property, ask who is obtaining those rights and when.

Show the team the routes you need to keep. Include access to fields, buildings and any land behind the proposed project. Ask how deliveries and work would be coordinated so your own use is accounted for.

For the electrical route, ask which rights the company would need outside the equipment area. Compare permanent rights with temporary construction space. A nearby line does not establish a workable connection, an available capacity allocation or permission to cross intervening land.

Reference: Fauquier County: Article 5, section 5-2004, additional battery storage standards

Compare the full land commitment with the payment

Once the drawing is clear, compare it with the payment schedule. Is the quoted payment for the leased area, the entire parcel or another defined area? Are access and utility rights included in that payment or addressed separately?

Ask what is paid while the company investigates and seeks approvals. Find out which events start operating payments and how extensions work. A layout that changes during review can also change the land you are being asked to reserve.

Discuss how changes would be handled before accepting them. Ask for updated drawings and proposed agreement changes if the fence, planting, route or leased area moves. Keep copies of the versions you reviewed.

Include restoration in that comparison. Ask who removes the improvements, who pays and what happens to the buffer and access route. Explain the condition you want for your next use rather than relying only on a promise to remove the batteries.

Tell us about the area you would consider

Start with your name, email and phone, then the Fauquier property location. Tell us whether you would consider a lease, sale or only a particular part of the land. Acreage, parcel numbers and drawings are optional for the initial inquiry.

Mention your current use, entrances, occupied buildings and any existing development agreement. If you have an offer, describe the proposed equipment area and any additional land rights the company is requesting.

Sunland can begin with what you know. Further review must establish the land rights, usable layout, electrical connection, approvals and commercial fit. An inquiry does not reserve the property or commit you to an agreement.