Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 870 - Rhode Island Commerce Corporation › Chapter 20 - Loans and Grants › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations for the Renewable Energy Development Fund Programs › Section 870-RICR-20-00-1.3 - Key Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. For the purposes
							of these regulations, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Add-on systems" means adding solar panels
							to an existing solar photovoltaic or solar hot water system.
2. "Affordable housing" means any affordable
							housing or low and moderate income housing as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws
							Chapters 42-128 or 45-53, or such other superseding statutes as may be
							implemented by the State of Rhode Island from time to time.
3. "Brownfield" means a property with which
							the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or
							potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
							contaminant.
4. "Clean energy"
							means the renewable energy resources defined in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter
							39-26.
5. "Clean energy internship
							program" means the internship program created in partnership with RICC and the
							Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources that matches interns with clean energy
							companies and provides reimbursement to the company for the period of the
							internship.
6. "Community
							renewables" or "Community solar" or "Community remote net metering system"
							means a facility, owned by the primary electrical account holder or a third
							party, generating electricity using an eligible net-metering resource which
							allocates net metering credits to a minimum of one eligible credit recipient
							account for systems associated with low or moderate income housing, or three
							(3) eligible credit recipient accounts for other systems.
7. "Corporation" and "RICC" mean the Rhode
							Island Commerce Corporation or any successor corporation or new corporation
							empowered to perform the functions currently served by the Rhode Island
							Commerce Corporation.
8.
							"Department of Environmental Management" or "DEM" means the entity established
							in the executive branch of State government pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws §
											42-17.1-1;
9. "Early stage commercialization" means an
							innovative renewable energy technology or innovative business model with the
							ability to transform the renewable energy business sector. Technologies have
							completed or have nearly completed early research stages.
10. "Emerging technology" means new
							technologies in renewable energy that will come to market within the next two
							(2) - five (5) years which have the ability to transform the renewable energy
							business sector.
11. "Innovative
							business model" means a novel business structure with the ability to help
							commercialize an emerging or existing renewable energy technology.
12. "Internship period" means the Spring,
							Summer, or Fall semester months of the Clean Energy Internship
							program.
13. "Microgrid" means a
							local energy grid with control capability allowing it to disconnect from the
							traditional grid and operate autonomously.
14. "Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources"
							or "OER" means the office created and established pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws
							§
											42-140-2.
15. "One-line electrical drawing" means a
							diagram showing the number of photovoltaic panels with voltage and kilowatt
							output, all disconnects, all combiners, all inverters with input and output
							ratings, the size of the main electrical panel bussing in amperes, the size of
							the main service disconnect, the size of the PV circuit breaker in amperes,
							size and type of all raceways and the size and type of all
							conductors.
16. "Pre-development
							feasibility study" means the completion of project tasks prior to construction
							of a renewable energy project. These tasks shall not include initial
							feasibility assessments. Pre-development activities occur after a project is
							deemed worthy of development and before construction takes place. Examples of
							Pre-Development Activities include but are not limited to:
a. Local and State Permitting.
b. Structural and Electrical
							Engineering.
c. National Grid
							Interconnection Studies.
d.
							National Grid Impact Studies.
e.
							Detailed Financial Analyses.
f.
							Request for Proposal (RFP) Preparations.
17. "Renewable energy fund" and "REF" means
							the Renewable Energy Development Fund.
18. "R.I. Gen. Laws" means the Rhode Island
							General Laws.
19. "ROI" means
							Return on Investment.
20. "Solar
							plus storage" means solar photovoltaic plus battery storage.
21. "Solar water heaters or solar domestic
							hot water" or "SDHW" means a system that includes storage tanks and solar
							collectors, while using the sun's thermal energy to heat water.
22. "Training" means providing additional
							skills, knowledge, or experience to clean energy workers.
23. "Workforce development" means activities
							related to providing training and career development opportunities to
							facilitate clean energy job growth and support a more qualified clean energy
							workforce.