Virginia Administrative Code › Title 20 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › Agency 5 - STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION › Chapter 315 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING NET ENERGY METERING › Section 20VAC5-315-40 - Conditions of interconnection

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. A prospective customer may begin operation
				of the generating facility on an interconnected basis when:
1. The customer has properly notified both
				the electric distribution company and energy service provider (in accordance
				with
				20VAC5-315-30
				) of the customer's intent to interconnect.
2. If required by the electric distribution
				company's tariff, the customer has installed a lockable, electric distribution
				company accessible, load breaking manual disconnect switch at each of the
				facility's generators.
3. The
				licensed electrician who installs the customer's generator certifies, by
				signing the commission-approved notification form, that any required manual
				disconnect switch is being installed properly and that the generator has been
				installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications as well as all
				applicable provisions of the National Electrical Code. If the customer or
				licensed Virginia Class A or B general contractor installs the customer's
				generator, the signed final electrical inspection can be used in lieu of the
				licensed electrician's certification.
4. The vendor certifies by signing the
				commission-approved notification form that the generator being installed is in
				compliance with the requirements established by Underwriters Laboratories or
				other national testing laboratories in accordance with IEEE Standard 1547,
				Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems,
				July 2003.
5. In the case of static
				inverter-connected generators with an alternating current capacity in excess of
				10 kilowatts, the customer has had the inverter settings inspected by the
				electric distribution company. The electric distribution company may impose a
				fee on the customer of no more than $50 for each generator that requires this
				inspection.
6. In the case of
				nonstatic inverter-connected generators, the customer has interconnected
				according to the electric distribution company's interconnection guidelines and
				the electric distribution company has inspected all protective equipment
				settings. The electric distribution company may impose a fee on the customer of
				no more than $50 for each generator that requires this inspection.
7. The following requirements shall be met
				before interconnection may occur:
a. Electric
				distribution facilities and customer impact limitations. A customer's generator
				shall not be permitted to interconnect to distribution facilities if the
				interconnection would reasonably lead to damage to any of the electric
				distribution company's facilities or would reasonably lead to voltage
				regulation or power quality problems at other customer revenue meters due to
				the incremental effect of the generator on the performance of the electric
				distribution system, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution
				company for its cost to accommodate the interconnection, including the
				reasonable cost of equipment required for the interconnection.
b. Secondary service, and service entrance
				limitations. The capacity of the generators at any one service location shall
				be less than the capacity of the electric distribution company-owned secondary
				service, and service entrance cable connected to the point of interconnection,
				unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company for the
				reasonable cost of equipment required for the interconnection.
c. Transformer loading limitations. A
				customer's generator shall not have the ability to overload the electric
				distribution company's transformer, or any transformer winding, beyond
				manufacturer or nameplate ratings, unless the customer reimburses the electric
				distribution company for the reasonable cost of equipment required for the
				interconnection.
d. Integration
				with electric distribution company facilities grounding. The grounding scheme
				of each generator shall comply with IEEE 1547, Standard for Interconnecting
				Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, July 2003, and shall be
				consistent with the grounding scheme used by the electric distribution company.
				If requested by a prospective customer, the electric distribution company shall
				assist the prospective customer in selecting a grounding scheme that
				coordinates with its distribution system.
e. Balance limitation. The generator shall
				not create a voltage imbalance of more than 3.0% at any other customer's
				revenue meter if the electric distribution company transformer, with the
				secondary connected to the point of interconnection, is a three-phase
				transformer, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company
				for the reasonable cost of equipment required for the
				interconnection.