(a) “Ambient sound level” is the amount of background noise at a given location prior to the installation of a WET(s) which may include, but not be limited to, traffic, machinery, lawnmowers, human activity, and the interaction of wind with the landscape. The ambient sound level is measured on the dB(A) weighted scale as defined by the American National Standards Institute.
(b) “Anemometer” is a temporary wind speed indicator constructed for the purpose of analyzing the potential for utilizing a wind energy turbine at a given site. This includes the tower, base plate, anchors, cables and hardware, wind direction vanes, booms to hold equipment, data logger, instrument wiring, and any telemetry devices that are used to monitor or transmit wind speed and wind flow characteristics over a period of time for either instantaneous wind information or to characterize the wind resource at a given location.
(c) “Applicant” means the person or entity filing an application under this Chapter.
(d) “Clear fall zone” means an area surrounding the wind turbine unit into which the turbine, tower and/or turbine components might fall due to inclement weather, poor maintenance, faulty construction methods, or any other condition causing turbine failure. The area shall remain confined within the property lines of the primary parcel where the turbine is located.
(e) “Decibel” is defined as unit of measure used to express the magnitude of sound pressure and sound intensity. Decibels shall be measured on the dB(A) weighted scale as defined by the American National Standards Institute.
(f) “Decommissioning” is the process of terminating operation and completely removing a WET(s) and all related buildings, structures, foundations, access roads, and equipment.
(g) “Hub height” means the distance measured from the surface of the tower foundation to the height of the wind turbine hub, to which the blade is attached.
(h) “Large wind energy turbine (LWET)” is a tower-mounted wind energy system that converts wind energy into electricity through the use of equipment which includes any base, blade, foundation, generator, nacelle, rotor, tower, transformer, vane, wire, inverter, batteries, or other components used in the system. The LWET has a nameplate above 250 kilowatts, and the main purpose of the LWET is to supply electricity to off-site customers.
(i) “Medium wind energy turbine (MWET)” is a tower-mounted wind energy system that converts wind energy into electricity through the use of equipment which includes any base, blade, foundation, generator, nacelle, rotor, tower, transformer, vane, wire, inverter, batteries or other components used in the system. The MWET has a nameplate capacity that does not exceed 250 kilowatts. The total height does not exceed 150 feet.
(j) “Megawatt” means a unit of power equal to one million watts.
(k) “Nacelle” refers to the encasement which houses all of the generating components, gear box, drive tram, and other equipment.
(l) “Net-metering” is a special metering and billing agreement between utility companies and their customers, which facilitates the connection of renewable energy generating systems to the power grid.
(m) “Non-participating landowner” means any landowner except those on whose property all or a portion of a wind energy turbine is located.
(n) “Occupied building” means a residence, school, hospital, church, public library or other building used for private or public gathering that is occupied or in use when the permit application is submitted.
(o) “Operator” means the entity responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the wind energy facility.
(p) “Owner” means the person or entity who holds title to property on which the wind energy turbine is located.
(q) “Rotor diameter” is the cross-sectional dimension of the circle swept by the rotating blades of a WET.
(r) “Shadow flicker” means the on-and-off flickering effect of a shadow caused when the sun passes behind the rotor of a wind turbine.
(s) “Small tower-mounted wind energy turbine (STMWET)” is a tower-mounted wind energy system that converts wind energy into electricity through the use of equipment which includes any base, blade, foundation, generator, nacelle, rotor, tower, transformer, vane, wire, inverter, batteries or other components used in the system. The STMWET has a nameplate capacity that does not exceed 30 kilowatts. The total height does not exceed 120 feet.
(t) “Structure” is any building or other structure that is a minimum of 12 feet high at its highest point of roof and is secured to frost-footings or a concrete slab.
(u) “Small structure-mounted wind energy turbine (SSMWET)” converts wind energy into electricity through the use of equipment which includes any base, blade, foundation, generator, nacelle, rotor, tower, transformer, vane, wire, inverter, batteries, or other components used in the system. A SSMWET is attached to a structure's roof, walls, or other elevated surface. The SSMWET has a nameplate capacity that does not exceed ten kilowatts. The total height does not exceed five feet as measured from the highest point of the roof, excluding chimneys, antennae, and other similar protuberances.
(v) “Total height” is the vertical distance measured from the ground level at the base of the tower to the uppermost vertical extension of any blade, or the maximum height reached by any part of the wind energy turbine (WET).
(w) “Tower” is a freestanding monopole that supports a wind energy turbine (WET).
(x) “Turbine height” means the distance measured from the surface of the tower foundation to the highest point of the turbine rotor plane.
(y) “Upwind turbine” is a wind energy turbine (WET) positioned in a manner so that the wind hits the turbine blades before it hits the tower in order to avoid the thumping noise which can occur if the wind is disrupted by hitting the tower before the blades.
(z) “Wind energy project” means equipment that converts and then stores or transfers energy from the wind into usable forms of energy (as defined by Ohio R.C. 1551.20) and includes any base, blade, foundation, generator, nacelle, rotor, tower, transformer, turbine, vane, wire, or other component used in the project.
(aa) “Wind generator” means the mechanical and electrical conversion components mounted at the top of a tower in a wind energy project.
(bb) “Wind turbine” means a wind energy conversion system that converts wind energy into electricity through the use of a wind turbine generator, and includes the nacelle, rotor, tower, and pad transformer, if any.
(cc) “Wind energy turbine (WET)” is any structure-mounted, small, medium, or large wind energy conversion system that converts wind energy into electricity through the use of a wind generator and includes the nacelle, rotor, tower, and pad transformer, if any.
(Ord. 10-85. Passed 11-16-10.)