Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 199 - Utilities Division › Utilities and Transportation Divisions › Chapter 45 - Electric Interconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities › Rule 199-45.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
Terms defined in the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act
				  of 1978 (PURPA),  16 U.S.C. 2601  et seq., shall have the same meaning for
				  purposes of these rules as they have under PURPA, unless further defined in
				  this chapter.
"Adverse system impact"
means a negative
				  effect that compromises the safety or reliability of the electric distribution
				  system or materially affects the quality of electric service provided by the
				  utility to other customers.
"AEP facility"
means an AEP facility, as
				  defined in 199-Chapter 15, used by an interconnection customer to generate
				  electricity that operates in parallel with the electric distribution system. An
				  AEP facility typically includes an electric generator and the interconnection
				  equipment required to interconnect safely with the electric distribution system
				  or local electric power system.
"Affected system"
means an electric system
				  not owned or operated by the utility reviewing the interconnection request that
				  could suffer an adverse system impact from the proposed interconnection.
"Applicant"
means a person (or entity) who
				  has submitted an interconnection request to interconnect a distributed
				  generation facility to a utility's electric distribution system.
"Area network"
means a type of electric
				  distribution system served by multiple transformers interconnected in an
				  electrical network circuit, generally used in large, densely populated
				  metropolitan areas.
"Business day"
means Monday through Friday,
				  excluding state and federal holidays.
"Calendar day"
means any day, including
				  Saturdays, Sundays, and state and federal holidays.
"Certificate of completion"
means the
				  Certificate of Completion form that contains information about the
				  interconnection equipment to be used, its installation, and local
				  inspections.
"Commission"
means the Iowa utilities
				  commission.
"Commissioning test"
means a test applied to
				  a distributed generation facility by the applicant after construction is
				  completed to verify that the facility does not create adverse system impacts
				  and performs to the submitted specifications. At a minimum, the scope of the
				  commissioning tests performed shall include the commissioning test specified in
				  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Standard 1547,
				  Section 11 "Test and Verification Requirements."
"Disconnection device"
means a lockable
				  visual disconnect or other disconnection device capable of isolating,
				  disconnecting, and de-energizing the residual voltage in a distributed
				  generation facility.
"Distributed generation facility"
means a
				  qualifying facility, an AEP facility, or an energy storage facility.
"Distribution upgrade"
means a required
				  addition or modification to the electric distribution system to accommodate the
				  interconnection of the distributed generation facility. Distribution upgrades
				  do not include interconnection facilities.
"Electric distribution system"
means the
				  facilities and equipment owned and operated by the utility and used to transmit
				  electricity to ultimate usage points such as homes and industries from
				  interchanges with higher voltage transmission networks that transport bulk
				  power over longer distances. The voltage levels at which electric distribution
				  systems operate differ among areas but generally operate at less than 100
				  kilovolts of electricity. "Electric distribution system" has the same meaning
				  as the term "Area EPS," as defined in Section 3.1 of IEEE Standard 1547.
"Electric meter"
means a device used by an
				  electric utility that measures and registers the integral of an electrical
				  quantity with respect to time.
"Fault current"
is the electrical current
				  that flows through a circuit during an electrical 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. Often, a fault current
				  is several times larger in magnitude than the current that normally flows
				  through a circuit.
"IEEE Standard 1547"
is the Institute of
				  Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., 3 Park Avenue, New York, NY
				  10016-5997, Standard 1547 (2018) "Standard for Interconnection and
				  Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources and Associated Electric Power
				  System Interfaces."
"IEEE Standard 1547.1"
is the IEEE Standard
				  1547.1 (2005) "Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting
				  Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems."
"Interconnection customer"
means a person or
				  entity that interconnects a distributed generation facility to an electric
				  distribution system.
"Interconnection equipment"
means a group of
				  components or an integrated system owned and operated by the interconnection
				  customer that connects an electric generator with a local electric power
				  system, as that term is defined in Section 3.1 of IEEE Standard 1547, or with
				  the electric distribution system. Interconnection equipment is all interface
				  equipment including switchgear, protective devices, inverters, or other
				  interface devices. Interconnection equipment may be installed as part of an
				  integrated equipment package that includes a generator or other electric
				  source.
"Interconnection facilities"
means
				  facilities and equipment required by the utility to accommodate the
				  interconnection of a distributed generation facility. Collectively,
				  interconnection facilities include all facilities and equipment between the
				  distributed generation facility's interconnection equipment and the point of
				  interconnection, including any modifications, additions, or upgrades necessary
				  to physically and electrically interconnect the distributed generation facility
				  to the electric distribution system. Interconnection facilities are sole-use
				  facilities and do not include distribution upgrades.
"Interconnection request"
means an
				  applicant's request, in a form approved by the commission, for interconnection
				  of a new distributed generation facility or to change the capacity or other
				  operating characteristics of an existing distributed generation facility
				  already interconnected with the electric distribution system.
"Interconnection study"
is any study
				  described in rule 199-45.11 (476).
"Lab-certified"
means a designation that the
				  interconnection equipment meets the requirements set forth in rule
				  199-45.6 (476).
"Line section"
is that portion of an
				  electric distribution system connected to an interconnection customer's site,
				  bounded by automatic sectionalizing devices or the end of the distribution
				  line, or both.
"Local electric power system"
means
				  facilities that deliver electric power to a load that is contained entirely
				  within a single premises or group of premises. "Local electric power system"
				  has the same meaning as that term as defined in Section 3.1 of IEEE Standard
				  1547.
"Nameplate capacity"
is the maximum rated
				  output of a generator, prime mover, or other electric power production
				  equipment under specific conditions designated by the manufacturer and usually
				  indicated on a nameplate physically attached to the power production
				  equipment.
"Nationally recognized testing laboratory"
or
"NRTL"
means a qualified private organization that meets
				  the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA)
				  regulations. See  29 CFR 1910.7  as amended through February 22, 2017. NRTLs
				  perform independent safety testing and product certification. Each NRTL shall
				  meet the requirements as set forth by OSHA in its NRTL program.
"Parallel operation"
or
"parallel"
means a distributed generation facility that is
				  connected electrically to the electric distribution system for longer than 100
				  milliseconds continuously.
"Point of interconnection"
has the same
				  meaning as the term "point of common coupling" as defined in Section 3.1 of
				  IEEE Standard 1547.
"Primary line"
means an electric
				  distribution system line operating at greater than 600 volts.
"Qualifying facility"
means a cogeneration
				  facility or a small power production facility that is a qualifying facility
				  under  18 CFR Part 292, Subpart B, used by an interconnection customer to
				  generate electricity that operates in parallel with the electric distribution
				  system. A qualifying facility typically includes an electric generator and the
				  interconnection equipment required to interconnect safely with the electric
				  distribution system or local electric power system.
"Radial distribution circuit"
means a
				  circuit configuration in which independent feeders branch out radially from a
				  common source of supply.
"Review order position"
means, for each
				  distribution circuit or line section, the order of a completed interconnection
				  request relative to all other pending completed interconnection requests on
				  that distribution circuit or line section. The review order position is
				  established by the date that the utility receives the completed interconnection
				  request.
"Scoping meeting"
means a meeting between
				  representatives of the applicant and utility conducted for the purpose of
				  discussing interconnection issues and exchanging relevant information.
"Secondary line"
means an electric
				  distribution system line, or service line, operating at 600 volts or
				  less.
"Shared transformer"
means a transformer
				  that supplies secondary voltage to more than one customer.
"Spot network"
means a type of electric
				  distribution system that uses two or more inter-tied transformers to supply an
				  electrical network circuit. A spot network is generally used to supply power to
				  a single customer or a small group of customers. "Spot network" has the same
				  meaning as the term "spot network" as defined in Section 9 "DER on distribution
				  secondary grid/area/street (grid) networks and spot networks" of IEEE Standard
				  1547.
"UL Standard 1741"
means the standard titled
				  "Inverters, Converters, Controllers, and Interconnection System Equipment for
				  Use with Distributed Energy Resources," January 28, 2010, edition, Underwriters
				  Laboratories Inc., 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.
"Utility"
means an electric utility that is
				  subject to rate regulation by the Iowa utilities commission.
"Witness test"
for lab-certified equipment
				  means a verification either by an on-site observation or review of documents
				  that the interconnection installation evaluation and the commissioning test
				  required by IEEE Standard 1547, Section 11 have been adequately performed. For
				  interconnection equipment that has not been lab-certified, the witness test
				  shall also include verification of the on-site design tests and production
				  tests required by IEEE Standard 1547, Section 11. All verified tests are to be
				  performed in accordance with the test procedures specified by IEEE Standard
				  1547.1.