The following terms shall mean:
1. “Height, total system” means the height above grade of the system, including the generating unit and the highest vertical extension of any blades or rotors.
2. “Lot or parcel” means any legally established lot or parcel which contains or could contain a permitted or permitted conditional principal use as provided by Zoning Code.
3. “Off grid” means an electrical system that is not connected to utility distribution and transmission facilities or to any building or structure that is connected.
4. “Shadow flicker” means changing light intensity caused by sunlight through the moving blades of a wind energy conversion system.
5. “Small Wind Energy Conversion System (SWECS)” means a wind energy conversion system which has a nameplate rated capacity of up to 15 kilowatts for residential uses and districts and up to 100 kilowatts for commercial and industrial districts and which is incidental and subordinate to a principal use on the same parcel. A system is considered a SWECS only if it supplies electrical power solely for use by the owner of the site, except that when a parcel on which the system is installed also receives electrical power supplied by a utility company, excess electrical power generated and not presently needed by the owner for on site use may be used by the utility company in accordance with Section 199, Chapter 15.11(5) of the Iowa Administrative Code, as amended from time to time.
6. “Small Wind Energy Conversion System, Free Standing” means a SWECS which is elevated by means of a monopole tower only and is not located on another supporting structure except that the tower shall have an appropriately constructed concrete base. Guyed, lattice, or other non-monopole style towers shall not meet this definition.
7. “Small Wind Energy Conversion System, Horizontal Axis” means a small wind energy conversion system that has blades which rotate through a horizontal plane.
8. “Small Wind Energy Conversion System, Building Mounted” means a SWECS which is securely fastened to any portion of a principal building in order to achieve desired elevation, whether attached directly to the principal building or attached to a tower structure which is in turn fastened to the principal building.
9. “Small Wind Energy Conversion System, Vertical Axis” means a small wind energy conversion system that has blades which rotate through a vertical plane.
10. “Tower” means the vertical component of a wind energy conversion system that elevates the wind turbine generator and attached blades above the ground.
11. “Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS)” means an aggregation of parts including the foundation, base, tower, generator, rotor, blades, supports, guy wires and accessory equipment such as utility interconnect and battery banks, etc. in such configuration as necessary to convert the power of wind into mechanical or electrical energy , e.g., wind charger, windmill or wind turbine.
12. “Wind turbine generator” means the component of a wind energy conversion system that transforms mechanical energy from the wind into electrical energy.