Terms defined in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act [220
ILCS 5 ] shall have the same meaning for purposes of this Part as they have under
Section 16-102 of the Act, unless further defined in this Part. The following words
and terms, when used in this Part, have the following meanings unless the context
indicates otherwise:
"Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5 ].
"Adverse system impact" means a negative effect that compromises the
safety or reliability of the electric distribution or transmission systems or
materially affects the quality of electric service provided by the electric
distribution company (EDC) to other customers.
"Affected system" means an electric system, other than the EDC's
distribution system with which the distributed energy resources facility is to be
directly connected, 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 energy resources facility to
an EDC's electric distribution system.
"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 a certificate, in a form approved
by the Commission, that contains information about the interconnection equipment to
be used, its installation and local inspections (see Appendix A).
"Commissioning test" means tests applied to a distributed energy
resources 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.
"Contingent upgrades" means proposed interconnection facilities or
distribution system upgrades, identified during interconnection studies for an
applicant's interconnection request, that are the responsibility of an
interconnection request earlier in the queue than the subject application for
interconnection. The identified contingent upgrades are required in order for the
applicant's proposed interconnection request to receive permission to operate and,
if delayed or not built by the earlier-queued interconnection request, could cause a
need for restudies of the interconnection request and may become the responsibility
of the applicant's interconnection request.
"Distributed energy resources facility" or "DER facility" means the
equipment used by an interconnection customer to generate or store electricity that
operates in parallel with the electric distribution system. A DER facility may
include, but is not limited to, an electric generator or energy storage system, a
prime mover, and the interconnection equipment required to safely interconnect with
the electric distribution system or local electric power system.
"Electric distribution company" or "EDC" means any electric utility
subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.
"Electric distribution system" means the facilities and equipment
owned and operated by the EDC 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 3.1.6.1
of IEEE Standard 1547. "Electric distribution system" excludes facilities under the
operational control of the RTO.
"IEEE Standard 1547" is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc., 3 Park Avenue, New York NY 10016-5997, Standard 1547 (2003)
"Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems".
This incorporation does not include any later amendments or editions.
"IEEE Standard 1547.1 " is the IEEE Standard 1547.1(2005)
"Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources
with Electric Power Systems". This incorporation does not include any later
amendments or editions.
"Interconnection customer" means a person or entity that has a DER
facility interconnected, or that seeks to interconnect, 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 3.1.6.2 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 EDC to accommodate the interconnection of a DER facility. Collectively,
interconnection facilities include all facilities and equipment between the DER
facility's interconnection equipment and the point of interconnection, including any
modifications or additions necessary to physically and electrically interconnect the
DER facility to the electric distribution system. Interconnection facilities are
sole use facilities and do not include system upgrades.
"Interconnection request" means an applicant's request, in a form
approved by the Commission, for interconnection of a new DER facility or to change
the capacity or other operating characteristics of an existing DER facility already
interconnected with the electric distribution system.
"Interconnection study" is any study described in Section
467.70.
"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 in Section 3.1.6.2 of
IEEE Standard 1547.
"Nameplate capacity" is the maximum rated output in kVA of a
generator, prime mover, energy storage system, 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.
"Parallel operation" or "parallel" means a DER facility that is
connected electrically to the electric distribution system for longer than 100
milliseconds.
"Point of interconnection" or "POI" means the point where the DER
facility is electrically connected to the electric distribution system. Point of
interconnection has the same meaning as the term "point of common coupling" defined
in Section 3.1.13 of IEEE Standard 1547.
"Queue position" means the order an EDC receives a completed
interconnection request relative to that specific EDC's other interconnection
requests. It is established by the date that the EDC receives the completed
interconnection request.
"Scoping meeting" means a meeting between representatives of the
applicant and EDC conducted for the purpose of discussing interconnection issues and
exchanging relevant information.
"Standard agreement for interconnection of DER facilities with a
capacity more than 10 MVA" means a standard interconnection agreement applicable to
interconnection requests for large DER facilities (see Appendix C).
"Witness test" means a verification by the EDC, either by on-site
observation or review of documents, that the interconnection installation evaluation
required by the applicable technical standards has been performed.