OAR 860-082-0015
Definitions
(1)
“Adverse system impact” means a negative effect caused by the interconnection of a small generator facility that may compromise the safety or reliability of a transmission or distribution system.(2)
“Affected system” means a transmission or distribution system, not owned or operated by the interconnecting public utility, which may experience an adverse system impact from the interconnection of a small generator facility.(3)
“Aggregated nameplate capacity” means the total combined nameplate capacity of:(a)
A proposed small generator facility;(b)
Existing small generator facilities, net metering facilities, FERC jurisdictional generators, and state jurisdictional generators with a nameplate capacity greater than 10 megawatts; and(c)
Small generator facilities, net metering facilities, FERC jurisdictional generators, and state jurisdictional generators with a nameplate capacity greater than 10 megawatts that have pending completed applications with higher queue positions than the proposed small generator facility.(4)
“Applicant” means a person who has submitted an application to interconnect a small generator facility to a public utility’s transmission or distribution system.(5)
“Application” means a written request to interconnect a small generator facility with a public utility’s transmission or distribution system.(6)
“Area network” means a type of distribution system served by multiple transformers interconnected in an electrical network circuit in order to provide high reliability of service. This term has the same meaning as the term “secondary grid network” as defined in IEEE 1547, section 4.1.4.(7)
“Certificate of completion” means a certificate signed by an applicant and an interconnecting public utility attesting that a small generator facility is complete, meets the applicable requirements of the small generator interconnection rules, and has been inspected, tested, and certified as physically ready for operation. A certificate of completion includes the “as built” specifications and initial settings for the small generator facility and its associated interconnection equipment.(8)
“Distribution system” means the portion of an electric system that delivers electricity from transformation points on the transmission system to points of connection on a customer’s premises.(9)
“Fault current” means an electrical current that flows through a circuit during a fault condition. A fault condition occurs when one or more electrical conductors contact ground or each other. Types of faults include phase to ground, double-phase to ground, three-phase to ground, phase to phase, and three-phase.(10)
“Field-tested equipment” means interconnection equipment that is identical to equipment that was approved by the interconnecting public utility for a different small generator facility interconnection under Tier 4 review and successfully completed a witness test within three years before the date of the submission of the current application.(11)
“IEEE 1547” means the standards published in the 2003 edition of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 1547, titled “Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems” and approved by the IEEE SA Standards Board on June 12, 2003.(12)
“IEEE 1547.1” means the standards published in the 2005 edition of the IEEE Standard 1547.1, titled “Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems” and approved by the IEEE SA Standards Board on June 9, 2005.(13)
“Interconnection agreement” means a contract between an applicant or interconnection customer and an interconnecting public utility that governs the interconnection of a small generator facility to the public utility’s transmission or distribution system and the ongoing operation of the small generator facility after it is interconnected.(14)
“Interconnection customer” means a person with one or more small generator facilities interconnected to a public utility’s transmission or distribution system.(15)
“Interconnection equipment” means a group of components or an integrated system provided by an interconnection customer or applicant to connect a small generator facility to a public utility’s transmission or distribution system.(16)
“Interconnection facilities” means the facilities and equipment required by a public utility to accommodate the interconnection of a small generator facility to the public utility’s transmission or distribution system and used exclusively for that interconnection. Interconnection facilities do not include system upgrades.(17)
“Interconnection service” means service provided by an interconnecting public utility to an interconnection customer.(18)
“Lab-tested equipment” means interconnection equipment that has been designed to comply with IEEE 1547, tested in accordance with IEEE 1547.1, and certified and labeled as compliant with these IEEE standards at the point of manufacture by a nationally recognized testing lab. For interconnection equipment to be considered lab-tested equipment under these rules, the equipment must be used in a manner consistent with the certification.(19)
“Line section” means that portion of a public utility’s transmission or distribution system that is connected to an interconnection customer and bounded by automatic sectionalizing devices or the end of a distribution line.(20)
“Minor equipment modification” means a change to a small generator facility or its associated interconnection equipment that:(a)
Does not affect the application of the approval requirements in Tiers 1, 2, or 3;(b)
Does not, in the interconnecting public utility’s reasonable opinion, have a material impact on the safety or reliability of the public utility’s transmission or distribution system or an affected system; and(c)
Does not affect the nameplate capacity of a small generator facility.(21)
“Nameplate capacity” means the full-load electrical quantities assigned by a facility’s designer to a generator and its prime mover or other piece of electrical equipment, such as transformers and circuit breakers, under standardized conditions, as expressed in amperes, kilovoltamperes, kilowatts, volts, megawatts, or other appropriate units. Nameplate capacity is usually indicated on a nameplate attached to the individual device.(22)
“Nationally recognized testing laboratory” or “NRTL” means a qualified private organization that performs independent safety testing and product certification. Each NRTL must meet the requirements set forth by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.(23)
“Net metering facility” has the meaning set forth in ORS 757.300 (Net metering facility allowed to connect to public utility)(1)(d).(24)
“Pending completed application” means an application for interconnection of a small generator facility, a net metering facility, or a FERC jurisdictional generator that an interconnecting public utility has deemed complete.(25)
“Person” has the meaning set forth in OAR 860-011-0035(8).(26)
“Point of interconnection” means the point where a small generator facility is electrically connected to a public utility’s transmission or distribution system. This term has the same meaning as “point of common coupling” as defined in IEEE 1547, section 3.1.13. This term does not have the same meaning as “point of common coupling” as defined in OAR 860-039-0005 (Scope and Applicability of Net Metering Facility Rules)(3)(p).(27)
“Primary line” means a distribution line with an operating voltage greater than 600 volts.(28)
“Public utility” has the meaning set forth in ORS 757.005 (Definition of public utility) and is limited to a public utility that provides electric service.(29)
“Queue position” means the rank of a pending completed application, relative to all other pending completed applications, that is established based on the date and time that the interconnecting public utility receives the completed applications, including application fees.(30)
“Scoping meeting” means an initial meeting between representatives of an applicant and an interconnecting public utility that is conducted to discuss alternative interconnection options; to exchange information, including any relevant transmission or distribution system data and earlier studies that would reasonably be expected to affect the interconnection options; to analyze such information; and to determine the potentially feasible points of interconnection.(31)
“Secondary line” means a service line with an operating voltage of 600 volts or less.(32)
“Small generator facility” means a facility for the production of electrical energy that has a nameplate capacity of 10 megawatts or less. A small generator facility does not include interconnection equipment, interconnection facilities, or system upgrades.(33)
“Spot network” means a type of transmission or distribution system that uses two or more intertied transformers protected by network protectors to supply an electrical network circuit. A spot network may be used to supply power to a single customer or a small group of customers.(34)
“System upgrade” means an addition or modification to a public utility’s transmission or distribution system or to an affected system that is required to accommodate the interconnection of a small generator facility.(35)
“Transmission line” means any electric line operating at or above 50,000 volts.(36)
“Transmission system” means a public utility’s high voltage facilities and equipment used to transport bulk power or to provide transmission service under the public utility’s open access transmission tariff.(37)
“Witness test” means the on-site visual verification of the interconnection installation and commissioning as required in IEEE 1547, sections 5.3 and 5.4. For interconnection equipment that does not meet the definition of lab-tested equipment, the witness test may, at the discretion of the public utility, also include a system design and production evaluation according to IEEE 1547, sections 5.1 and 5.2, as applicable to the specific interconnection equipment used.(38)
“Written notice” means a notice required by the small generator interconnection rules sent via First Class United States mail. The duty to provide written notice is deemed fulfilled on the day that the notice is deposited in the mail. A public utility and an applicant or interconnection customer may agree in writing to accept written notice via electronic mail. If using electronic mail by agreement, then the duty to provide written notice is deemed fulfilled on the day the notice is sent. A public utility and an applicant or interconnection customer are responsible for informing one another of changes to the physical or electronic address used to receive notifications.
Source:
Rule 860-082-0015 — Definitions, https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/view.action?ruleNumber=860-082-0015.