Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 225 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES › Title 225 CMR 20.00 - Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program › Section 20.02 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Agricultural Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit located on Land in
				Agricultural Use or Important Agricultural Farmland that allows the continued
				use of the land for agriculture.
Alternative On-bill Credit Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit that is enrolled under a
				tariff establishing a bill credit for generation from Solar Tariff Generation
				Units that is approved by the DPU, but is not a tariff approved pursuant to
				220 CMR 8.00:
Sales of
				Electricity by Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities to
				Distribution Companies, and Sales of Electricity by Distribution Companies to
				Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities
or
				220 CMR
				18.00:
Net Metering
.
Authorized Agent
. A person or entity
				that serves under an agreement entered into by each of the Owners of a Solar
				Tariff Generation Unit for all dealings with the Department.
Base Compensation Rate
. The portion of
				a Solar Tariff Generation Unit's compensation rate related to the Generation
				Unit's rated alternating current capacity, prescribed in
				225 CMR
				20.07(3).
Behind-the-meter Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit that serves On-site Load
				other than parasitic or station load utilized to operate the Generation Unit
				and that receives compensation under
				220 CMR 8.00:
Sales of
				Electricity by Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities to
				Distribution Companies, and Sales of Electricity by Distribution Companies to
				Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities
or
				220 CMR
				18.00:
Net Metering
, or under the
				model SMART Tariff established pursuant to D.P.U. 17-140.
Brownfield
. A disposal site that has
				received a release tracking number from MassDEP pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0000:
Massachusetts Contingency Plan
, the redevelopment or reuse of
				which is hindered by the presence of oil or hazardous materials, as determined
				by the Department, in consultation with MassDEP. For the purposes of 225 CMR
				20.02:
Brownfield
, the terms "disposal site", "release
				tracking number", "oil", and "hazardous materials" shall have the meanings
				giving to such terms in
				310 CMR
				40.0006:
Terminology, Definitions
				and Acronyms
. No disposal site that otherwise meets the
				requirements of 225 CMR 20.02:
Brownfield
shall be
				excluded from consideration as a Brownfield because its cleanup is also
				regulated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
				Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601-9675, the Resource Conservation and
				Recovery Act,
				42 U.S.C.
				§§
									6921 through
				6939g,
				or any other federal program.
Building Mounted Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit with 100% of the nameplate
				capacity of the solar photovoltaic modules used for generating power installed
				on a building.
Business Day
. Monday through Friday,
				exclusive of state and federal legal holidays.
Canopy Solar Tariff Generation Unit
. A
				Solar Tariff Generation Unit with 100% of the nameplate capacity of the solar
				photovoltaic modules used for generating power installed on top of a parking
				surface, pedestrian walkway, or canal in a manner that maintains the function
				of the area beneath the canopy.
Capacity Block
. A quantity of Solar
				Tariff Generation Unit capacity that is entitled to receive a particular set of
				Base Compensation Rates and Compensation Rate Adders within a Distribution
				Company's service territory.
Commercial Operation Date
. The date on
				which a Distribution Company grants approval for a Solar Tariff Generation Unit
				to interconnect with the electric grid.
Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit that provides electricity or
				bill credits to three or more Customers of Record. No more than two
				participants may receive bill credits in excess of those produced annually by
				25 kW of nameplate AC capacity, and the combined share of said participants'
				capacity shall not exceed 50% of the total capacity of the Generation Unit,
				except in the case of Generation Units smaller than 100 kW AC.
Compensation Rate Adder
. An adder to a
				Solar Tariff Generation Unit's Base Compensation Rate established pursuant to
				225 CMR
				20.07(4).
Core Habitat
. Key areas that are
				critical for the long-term persistence of rare species and other species of
				conservation concern, as well as a wide diversity of natural communities and
				intact ecosystems across the Commonwealth, as identified by the Massachusetts
				Division of Fisheries and Wildlife BioMap2 framework within the Natural
				Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Critical Natural Landscape
. Areas
				including large natural landscape blocks and buffering uplands around coastal,
				wetland and aquatic Core Habitats to help ensure their long-term integrity, as
				identified by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife BioMap2
				framework within the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Customer of Record
. An eligible
				customer with the Distribution Company whose name appears on a Distribution
				Company billing account of a meter connected to or receiving bill credits from
				a Solar Tariff Generation Unit.
Department
. The Massachusetts
				Department of Energy Resources, established by M.G.L. c. 25A.
Distribution Company
. A company
				engaging in the distribution of electricity or owning, operating or controlling
				distribution facilities as defined in M.G.L. c. 164, § 1; provided,
				however, a Distribution Company shall not include a municipal utility
				established pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 164.
DPU.
The Massachusetts Department of
				Public Utilities established by M.G.L. c. 25, § 1.
Eligible Landfill
. A landfill that has
				received an approval from MassDEP for the use of a solar photovoltaic
				Generation Unit at the landfill as a post-closure use pursuant to
				310 CMR
				19.143:
Post-closure Use of
				Landfills
.
End-use Customer
. A person or entity
				in Massachusetts that purchases electrical energy from a Distribution
				Company.
Energy Storage System
. A commercially
				available technology that is capable of absorbing energy, storing it for a
				period of time and thereafter dispatching the energy.
Environmental Attribute
. All GIS
				Certificates and any other environmental benefits associated with the energy
				generation of a Solar Tariff Generation Unit.
Floating Solar Tariff Generating Unit
.
				A Solar Tariff Generation Unit located on a body of water that is currently, or
				was formerly, used for water treatment, agricultural or industrial activities,
				and that allows for the continued use of the water body for its intended
				purpose.
Generation Attribute
. A Generation
				Attribute, as defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
Generation Unit
. A Generation Unit, as
				defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
GIS Certificate
. An electronic record
				produced by the NEPOOL GIS that identifies Generation Attributes of each MWh
				accounted for in the NEPOOL GIS.
Greenfield Subtractor
. A subtractor to
				a Solar Tariff Generation Unit's Base Compensation Rate, established pursuant
				to
				225 CMR
				20.07(4)(g).
Guideline
. A set of clarifications,
				interpretations, and procedures, including forms, developed by the Department
				to assist in compliance with the requirements of
				225 CMR 20.00. The Department
				may issue new or revised Guidelines. Each Guideline shall be effective on its
				date of issuance or on such date as is specified therein, except as otherwise
				provided in
				225 CMR 20.00.
Important Agricultural Farmlands
.
				Means those soils found to be Important Farmlands pursuant to
				7 CFR §
									657.5, that includes prime farmlands, unique
				farmlands, and additional land of statewide importance.
Incentive Payment Effective Date
. As
				defined in the SMART Tariff, means the earliest date on or after the Commercial
				Operation Date on which electrical energy output of a Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit can result in the creation of RPS Class I Renewable Generation Attributes
				and is also eligible to begin receiving incentive payments.
Independent Verifier
. An entity
				approved by the Department to perform the function of a third party meter
				reader as defined in Rule 2.5(j) of the
NEPOOL GIS Operating
				Rules
, or any successor rule.
Interconnection Service Agreement
. The
				agreement for interconnection service entered into between the interconnecting
				customer and a Distribution Company, as defined and provided in each
				Distribution Company's standards for interconnection of distributed
				generation.
ISO-NE
. ISO New England Inc., the
				independent system operator for New England, the regional transmission
				organization for most of New England, which is authorized by the Federal Energy
				Regulatory Commission to exercise for the New England Control Area the
				functions required pursuant to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order
				No. 2000 and corresponding regulations.
Kilowatt (kW)
. A unit of power equal
				to 1,000 watts, as measured in alternating current (AC).
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
. A unit of
				electrical energy or work equivalent to 1,000 watts of power operating for one
				hour.
Land in Agricultural Use
. All land as
				defined under M.G.L. c. 61A, §§ 1 and 2, and land that had been
				enrolled in a program established pursuant to M.G.L. c. 61A within the past
				five years.
Low Income Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Community Shared Solar Tariff Generation Unit with at
				least 50% of its energy output allocated to Low Income Customers in the form of
				electricity or bill credits.
Low Income Customer
. An End-use
				Customer that is on a low-income discounted rate of a Distribution Company or a
				resident in a Low Income Eligible Area.
Low Income Eligible Area
. A
				neighborhood, as identified through American Community Survey data, that has
				household income equal to or less than 65% of the statewide median income for
				Massachusetts.
Low Income Property Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit with a rated capacity greater
				than 25 kW that provides all of its generation output in the form of
				electricity or bill credits to low or moderate income housing, as defined under
				M.G.L. c. 40B.
Low Income Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit with an AC rated capacity of
				less than or equal to 25 kW that serves Low Income Customers.
MassDEP
. The Massachusetts Department
				of Environmental Protection established by M.G.L. c. 21A, § 7.
MDAR
. The Massachusetts Department of
				Agricultural Resources established by M.G.L. c. 20, § 1.
Megawatt (MW)
. A unit of power equal
				to one million watts, as measured in alternating current (AC).
Megawatt-hour (MWh)
. A unit of
				electrical energy or work equivalent to one million watts of power operating
				for one hour.
Municipality
. A city or town in the
				Commonwealth of Massachusetts that has been issued a public identification
				number by the DPU pursuant to
				220 CMR
				18.00:
Net Metering
.
NEPOOL GIS
. The New England Power Pool
				Generation Information System, which includes a generation information database
				and certificate system, operated by the New England Power Pool, its designee or
				successor entity, that accounts for Generation Attributes of electrical energy
				consumed and generated within, imported into, or exported from the ISO-NE
				Control Area.
Net Metered Generation Unit
. A Solar
				Tariff Generation Unit that is also enrolled and compensated as Class I Net
				Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, or Class III Net Metering
				Facility, as defined under
				220 CMR 18.02:
Definitions
.
Non-net Metered Generation Unit
. A
				Solar Tariff Generation Unit that is also enrolled and compensated as a State
				Qualifying Facility under
				220 CMR 8.00:
Sales of
				Electricity by Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities to
				Distribution Companies, and Sales of Electricity by Distribution Companies to
				Qualifying Facilities and On-site Generating Facilities
.
On-site Load
. Any new or existing
				electric load located at the site of a Solar Tariff Generation Unit, including
				any parasitic load that may result from the installation of the Solar Tariff
				Generation Unit, and that is wired to receive a portion of the electrical
				energy output from the Solar Tariff Generation Unit before the balance of such
				output passes through the Solar Tariff Generation Unit's metered
				interconnection onto the electric grid.
Other Governmental Entity
. A
				Department or agency of the Commonwealth, and any other entity that has been
				issued a public identification number by the DPU pursuant to
				220 CMR
				18.00:
Net Metering
.
Owner
. Any person or entity that,
				alone or in conjunction with others, has legal ownership of a Solar Tariff
				Generation Unit.
Primary Installer
. The primary entity
				responsible for a Solar Tariff Generation Unit's installation. The Primary
				Installer must be a professional contractor licensed to conduct business in
				Massachusetts. Any electrical work performed on the installation must be
				conducted by an electrician holding a valid and current license in
				Massachusetts. The Primary Installer is directly responsible for turnkey
				project management and installation work, although the installation work may be
				sub-contracted. Homeowners or other individuals are not eligible to be a
				Primary Installer unless they are a Massachusetts licensed electrician
				completing an installation on their own property.
Priority Habitat
. Means Priority
				Habitat as defined in
				321 CMR
				10.02:
Definitions
.
Public Entity Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit that is:
(a) Sited on property owned by a Municipality or Other
				Governmental Entity and is either:
1. owned or operated by a Municipality or Other Governmental
				Entity; or
2. the Owner has assigned 100% of its output to Municipalities
				or Other Governmental Entities; or
(b) Sited on privately owned property and is either:
1. Owned or operated by the Municipality in which the Solar
				Tariff Generation Unit is sited; or
2. the Owner has assigned 100% of its output to the
				Municipality or Other Governmental Entities in the Municipality in which the
				Solar Tariff Generation Unit is sited.
Publication Date
. The date established
				by Department promulgation of revisions to the SMART Program pursuant to
				225 CMR
				20.07(5), specifically,
				April 15, 2020.
Public Entity Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit sited on property owned by a
				Municipality or Other Governmental Entity that is either:
(a) owned or operated by a Municipality or Other Governmental
				Entity; or
(b) the owner has assigned 100% of its output to Municipalities
				or Other Governmental Entities.
Renewable Generation
. Means Renewable
				Generation, as defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
Renewable Generation Attribute
. Means
				a Renewable Generation Attribute, as defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
Reservation Period
. The period of time
				during which a Solar Tariff Generation Unit is entitled to a Statement of
				Qualification and Capacity Block reservation prior to the Solar Tariff
				Generation Unit's receipt of notice of authorization to interconnect from the
				Distribution Company.
RPS Class I Renewable Generation
.
				Means RPS Class I Renewable Generation, as defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
RPS Class I Renewable Generation
				Attribute
. Means a RPS Class I Renewable Generation Attribute, as
				defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
RPS Class I Renewable Generation Unit
.
				Means a RPS Class I Renewable Generation Unit, as defined in
				225 CMR 14.02:
Definitions
.
SMART Tariff
. The SMART Provision
				tariff for each individual Distribution Company as reviewed and approved by the
				DPU, as may be amended from time to time.
Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART)
				Program
. The solar incentive program established pursuant to
				225 CMR 20.00.
Solar Program Administrator
. The
				program administrator for
				225 CMR 20.00 that is
				selected pursuant to the process set forth in
				225 CMR
				20.09.
Solar Tariff Generation Unit
. A
				Generation Unit that generates electricity using solar photovoltaic technology
				and meets all of the eligibility criteria set forth in
				225
				CMR 20.05 and
				20.06.
Standalone Solar Tariff Generation
				Unit
. A Solar Tariff Generation Unit that serves no associated
				On-site Load other than parasitic or station load utilized to operate the
				Generation Unit or coupled Energy Storage System.
State Qualifying Facility
. Means a
				Qualifying Facility, as defined by the DPU in
				220 CMR 8.02:
Definitions
.
Statement of Qualification
. A document
				issued by the Department that qualifies a Solar Tariff Generation Unit under
				225 CMR 20.00.
Third-party Owner
. An entity that has
				a turnkey contract involving a power purchase agreement, lease, or other
				arrangements with a Customer of Record, but is the Owner of the Solar Tariff
				Generation Unit. The Third-party Owner may have a separate contract with
				another entity for the actual installation work.