Section 480-108-010. Definitions.

"Application" means the written notice as defined in WAC 480-108-030 that the interconnection customer provides to the electrical company to start the interconnection process.

"Business day" means Monday through Friday excluding official federal and state holidays.

"Certificate of completion" means the form described in WAC 480-108-050(2) that must be completed by the interconnection customer's electrical inspector and approved by the electrical company indicating completion of installation and inspection of the interconnection.

"Commission" means the Washington utilities and transportation commission.

"Electric system" means all electrical wires, equipment, and other facilities owned by the electrical company used to transmit electricity to customers.

"Electrical company" means any public service company, as defined by RCW 80.04.010, engaged in the generation, distribution, sale or furnishing of electricity and subject to the jurisdiction of the commission.

"Generating facility" means a source of electricity owned, or whose electrical output is owned, by the interconnection customer that is located on the interconnection customer's side of the point of common coupling, and all ancillary and appurtenant facilities, including interconnection facilities, which the interconnection customer requests to interconnect to the electric system.

"Initial operation" means the first time the generating facility operates in parallel with the electric system.

"Interconnection" means the physical connection of a generating facility to the electric system so that parallel operation may occur.

"Interconnection agreement" means an agreement between an electrical company and the interconnection customer which outlines the interconnection requirements, costs and billing agreements, insurance requirements, and ongoing inspection, maintenance, and operational requirements.

"Interconnection customer" means the person, corporation, partnership, government agency, or other entity that proposes to interconnect, or has executed an interconnection agreement with the electrical company. The interconnection customer must:

(a) Own a generating facility interconnected to the electric system;

(b) Be a customer-generator of net-metered facilities, as defined in RCW 80.60.010(2); or

(c) Otherwise be authorized to interconnect by law.

The interconnection customer is responsible for the generating facility, and may assign to another party responsibility for compliance with the requirements of this rule only with the express written permission of the electrical company. A net metered interconnection customer may lease a generating facility from, or purchase power from, a third-party owner of an on-site generating facility.

"Interconnection facilities" means the electrical wires, switches and other equipment owned by the electrical company or the interconnection customer and used to interconnect a generating facility to the electric system. Interconnection facilities are located between the generating facility and the point of common coupling. Interconnection facilities do not include system upgrades.

"Islanding" means the condition that occurs when power from the electric system is no longer present and the generating facility continues exporting energy onto the electric system.

"Minor modification" means a physical modification to the electric system with a cost of no more than ten thousand dollars.

"Nameplate capacity" means the manufacturer's output capacity of the generating facility. For a system that uses an inverter to change DC energy supplied to an AC quantity, the nameplate capacity will be the manufacturer's AC output rating for the inverter(s). Nameplate capacities shall be measured in the unit of kilowatts.

"Net metering," as defined in RCW 80.60.010, means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied by an electrical company and the electricity generated by a generating facility that is fed back to the electrical company over the applicable billing period.

"Network protectors" means devices installed on a network distribution system designed to detect and interrupt reverse current-flow (flow out of the network) as quickly as possible, typically within three to six cycles.

"Parallel operation" or "operate in parallel" means the synchronous operation of a generating facility while interconnected with an electric system.

"Point of common coupling" means the point where the generating facility's local electric power system connects to the electric system, such as the electric power revenue meter or at the location of the equipment designated to interrupt, separate or disconnect the connection between the generating facility and electrical company. The point of common coupling is the point of measurement for the application of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard (IEEE) 1547.

"System upgrades" means the additions, modifications and upgrades to the electric system at or beyond the point of common coupling necessary to interconnect the generating facility. System upgrades do not include interconnection facilities.

"Third-party owner" means an entity that owns a generating facility located on the premises of an interconnection customer and has entered into a contract with the interconnection customer for provision of power from the generating facility. When a third-party owns a net-metered generating facility, the interconnection customer maintains the net metering relationship with the electrical company. A third-party owner does not resell electricity produced from a net metered generating facility.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 13-15-089 (Docket UE-112133, General Order R-571), § 480-108-010, filed 7/18/13, effective 8/18/13; WSR 07-20-059 (Docket UE-060649, General Order 545), § 480-108-010, filed 9/27/07, effective 10/28/07; WSR 06-07-017 (Docket No. UE-051106, General Order No. R-528), § 480-108-010, filed 3/6/06, effective 4/6/06.]

RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 13-15-089 (Docket UE-112133, General Order R-571), § 480-108-010, filed 7/18/13, effective 8/18/13; WSR 07-20-059 (Docket UE-060649, General Order 545), § 480-108-010, filed 9/27/07, effective 10/28/07; WSR 06-07-017 (Docket No. UE-051106, General Order No. R-528), § 480-108-010, filed 3/6/06, effective 4/6/06.

Rules

480-108-030,480-108-050,