Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Safety and Professional Services › SPS 301-399 - Safety, Buildings, and Environment › SPS 367-374 - General, Part III › Chapter SPS 371 - Solar energy systems › Subchapter III - Definitions › Section SPS 371.10 - Definitions

Current through June 24, 2024
(1)"Absorber" means that part of a solar
					 collector whose primary function is to absorb radiant energy and transfer it to
					 a fluid. In photovoltaic solar energy systems, the function is to generate
					 electrical energy.
(2)"Active solar
					 energy system" means any mechanical system which collects solar radiation in
					 the form of thermal energy and uses a heat transfer fluid to transport the
					 thermal energy to meet load requirements or to thermal storage.
(3)"Air system" means an active solar energy
					 system that uses air as the heat transfer fluid.
(4)"Approved" means acceptable to the
					 department.
(5)"Auxiliary energy
					 system" means equipment using non-solar energy sources to supplement or backup
					 the output provided by a solar energy system.
(6)"Building" means a structure for support,
					 shelter or enclosure of persons or property, other than a one- or 2-family
					 dwelling.
(7)"Closed loop system"
					 means an active solar energy system in which a closed piping system, containing
					 a fixed charge of heat transfer fluid, transfers heat from collectors to
					 storage or use.
(8)"Collector"
					 means a device designed to absorb incident solar radiation and to transfer the
					 energy to a fluid passing through it.
(9)"Collector cover" means the material
					 covering the aperture to provide thermal and environmental
					 protection.
(10)"Component" means a
					 distinct device or assembly that forms a functional part of a solar energy
					 system including, but not limited to, collectors, thermal storage, heat
					 exchangers, controls, pumps, fans, dampers and valves. Unless otherwise
					 specified, such as a building component, a component shall have the above
					 definition.
(11)"Department" means
					 the department of safety and professional services.
(12)"Design pressure" means the maximum
					 allowable continuous or intermittent pressure for which a specific part of a
					 solar energy system is designed to operate safely and reliably.
(13)"Design temperature" means the maximum
					 allowable continuous or intermittent temperature for which a specific part of a
					 solar energy system is designed to operate safely and reliably.
(14)"Drainback system" means a closed loop
					 system which allows gravity draining of the heat transfer fluid into lower
					 portions of the solar loop under prescribed circumstances.
(15)"Draindown system" means an active solar
					 energy system in which the fluid in the solar collector is drained from the
					 solar energy system under prescribed circumstances.
(16)"Dwelling" means any building which
					 contains one or 2 dwelling units.
(17)"Flammable liquid" means a liquid having
					 a flash point below 100ºF and having a vapor pressure not exceeding 40
					 psia at 100ºF.
(18)"Fluid"
					 means a liquid or gas.
(19)"Heat
					 exchanger" means a device designed to transfer heat between two physically
					 separated fluids.
(20)"Heat
					 transfer fluid" means the medium used to transfer energy from the solar
					 collectors to the thermal storage or load.
(21)"Heated space" means any space maintained
					 at a temperature of at least 50ºF.
(22)"Hot water" means water heated for
					 domestic or industrial use.
(23)"Liquid system" means an active solar
					 energy system that uses liquid as the heat transfer fluid.
(24)"Maximum operating pressure" means the
					 maximum pressure experienced in a system, under any normal operating co
					 nditions including no-flow.
(25)"Maximum operating temperature" means the
					 maximum temperature experienced in a system, under any normal operating
					 conditions including no-flow.
(26)"No-flow condition" means the condition
					 that results when the heat transfer fluid does not flow through the collector
					 array due to normal shut-down or malfunction.
(27)"Open loop system" means an active solar
					 energy system in which water for domestic or industrial use is directly heated
					 in collectors.
(28)"Outgassing"
					 means the emission of gases by component materials usually during exposure to
					 elevated temperatures or reduced pressures.
(29)"Owner" means any person having a legal
					 or equitable interest in the solar energy system.
(30)"Photovoltaic" means a solar energy
					 system that converts radiant solar energy directly into electrical
					 energy.
(31)"Potable water" means
					 water which is:
(a) Safe for drinking,
					 personal or culinary use; and
(b)
					 Free from impurities present in amounts sufficient to cause disease or harmful
					 physiological effects and conforming in its bacteriological and chemical
					 quality to the requirements specified in ch. NR 809.