(A) General statement of technical guidelines; responsibility for developing technical details and interconnection agreements.
(1) This section sets forth general technical guidelines for interconnections between the town’s electrical distribution system and a customer’s solar generation facility.
(2) The Town Manager, with oversight by the Power Board, is authorized to develop detailed technical requirements and conditions, and a standard interconnection agreement; provided that the technical requirements and conditions, and the standard interconnection agreement must be approved by the Town Council prior to use and implementation.
(B) Conditions of interconnection. The town shall allow interconnection between its electrical distribution system and a customer’s solar generation facilities on a continuing basis so long as the operation of the solar generation facilities does not degrade, in any way, the quality of the electric energy service provided to the town’s other customers. The solar generation customer shall make all reasonable efforts to operate customer’s solar generation facilities, in a manner that is safe and will not create any hazardous conditions affecting either the solar generation facilities or the town’s electrical distribution system.
(C) Interconnection. The solar generation customer shall, to the point of interconnection, furnish, install, operate, and maintain in good repair, without cost to the town, such relays, locks, seals, breakers, automatic synchronizers, and other control and protective equipment designated by the town or its agent as suitable for the operation of the solar generation facilities in parallel with the town’s electrical distribution system. The solar generation customer shall take appropriate steps to ensure that parallel operation of customer’s solar generation facilities will not degrade the quality of service that is normally maintained on the town’s system.
(D) Metering.
(1) Installation of equipment. The town shall provide and install metering equipment capable of measuring and monitoring: (1) the energy supplied by the town’s electrical distribution system to the solar generation customer (measured in kWh); and (2) the energy supplied by the solar generation customer to the town’s electrical distribution system (measured in kWh). The metering equipment shall allow measurement of the energy supplied in both directions during each billing cycle. At the town’s option, a separate meter may be installed by the town on customer’s solar generation facilities to determine the amount of energy contributed to the town’s electrical distribution system.
(2) Ownership of equipment. The town shall own and maintain all necessary meters and associated equipment utilized for measuring and monitoring the flows of energy described in division (A) above.
(E) System disturbances. Disturbances to the town’s electrical distribution system shall be minimized to the greatest extent possible. Such disturbances shall include but not be limited to lagging or leading power factors, unacceptable voltage regulation, voltage flicker and harmonics.
(F) Recordkeeping by solar generation customers. The solar generation customer shall maintain an operations log for all solar generation facilities at the customer’s site. The operations log shall be used to record information on unit parallel and separation times, maintenance outages, trip operation, and other unusual events. The kilowatt operating level may also be required. The town shall have the right to review customer’s operations log on request.
(Ord. 2021-001, passed 8-24-2021)