When used herein, the following terms shall have the respective meanings
set forth as follows:
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS
Structures, equipment, devices or construction techniques
used for the production of heat, light, cooling, electricity or other
forms of energy on site and may be attached to or separate from the
principal structure; for example, windmills, solar collectors and
solar greenhouses, heat pumps or other related devices.
APPLICANT, DEVELOPER, OPERATOR or OWNER
The use of these terms herein is interchangeable and should
be interpreted to give the most reasonable and logical application
to the provision(s) containing one or more of these terms.
AS BUILT
When construction conditions require changes to contract
drawings they are so noted and described on final drawings of record.
AVERAGE AMBIENT NOISE LEVEL
The level of acoustic noise existing at a given location
out of doors for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a duration
of four weeks. (See also "sound pressure measurement.")
ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRONIC MAGNETIC INTERFERENCE
Interference to satellite towers, microwave transmissions,
cell communication towers and "ghosting" of television reception caused
by electronic reflections of electrical generating facilities.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
Erection, construction, operation, or maintenance by municipal
agencies or public utilities of telephone dial equipment centers,
electrical or gas substations, water treatment or storage facilities,
pumping stations and similar facilities, but shall not include telecommunications
facilities as defined herein, wind energy facilities (including infrastructure
supporting wind energy facilities), landfills, waste transfer stations
or other facilities with the primary purpose of handling or disposing
of household or industrial waste.
FALL ZONE (FOR WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS)
A distance of two times (200%) the Wind Energy Conversion
System height as measured as a vertical distance from the pre-construction
or post-construction grade, whichever is lower, at the tower base
to the highest point (apex) of the rotor blade.
GROUND CLEARANCE
The minimum distance between the lowest point of the rotor
blade rotation and ground at the base of a tower.
HUB HEIGHT
Center of rotational axis of rotor blades and gearbox (see
also "nacelle").
LICENSED
Unless otherwise provided herein, any reference to a licensed
engineer, licensed surveyor, licensed architect or licensed landscape
architect shall mean any individual person currently licensed for
same in the State of New York.
NACELLE
Large enclosure placed at the top of supporting tower, housing
equipment such as the generator, gearbox, drive train, rotor blades
and hub and breaking system.
NET-METERING
An exchange of excess electricity between an owner of a generating
facility and a utility company. A utility company may accept over-generation
beyond the owner's needs and allow the metering system to reverse
spin, thereby crediting the producer under an interconnection agreement.
OFF-GRID
A wind system not connected to power grid.
ON-GRID
A wind system connected to a power grid.
PILOT PROGRAM (PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES)
A program implemented as replacement of revenue lost to towns
by State of New York tax exemption law for renewable energy systems
(Real Property Tax Law § 487).
SHADOW FLICKER
The effect of sunrays passing through the rotating blades
of a wind energy generating system which is similar to the effect
of strobe lighting.
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL or SOUND LEVEL (DBA)
A logarithmic measurement of sound pressure (sound level)
fluctuation produced by a particular source of sound as compared to
a reference (background) sound pressure level. Sound pressure shall
be expressed in decibels using A-frequency weighting (dBA), which
is the most commonly used standard in the United States for the measurement
of environmental noise. With human hearing, low- and high-frequency
sounds appear to be less loud. A-weighting (A-frequency weighting)
reduces the level of low and high frequencies to produce a reading
that corresponds approximately to what a human can hear. The measurement
of sound pressure levels shall be performed in accordance with the
latest revision of International Standards for Acoustic Noise Measurement
Techniques for Wind Turbine Generator Systems (IEC 61400-11) or other
industry-accepted procedures.
SPECIAL USE PERMIT
Sometimes referred to elsewhere in the Sweden Code as a "special
permit."
TOWER
The support structure, including guyed, monopole and lattice
types, upon which a wind turbine, nacelle, generator and other mechanical
and/or electrical devices are mounted.
TOWER HEIGHT
The vertical distance from the pre-construction or post-construction
grade, whichever is lower, at the tower base to the center of the
horizontal axis of the rotor blade.
TRANSFORMER
An electrical device used to change voltages.
TRANSMISSION LINES
Conductive lines required delivering derived power to the
electrical grids.
VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (VAWT)
One or more mechanical devices, such as wind turbines, with
multiple caged blades which are designed and used to convert the kinetic
energy of wind into a usable form of energy. The turbine rotates on
a vertical axis. The VAWT includes all parts of the system except
the tower and transmission equipment.
WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM
The equipment that converts and then stores (or transfers)
energy from wind into usable forms of energy, and including any base,
blade, foundation or support, generator, infrastructure, nacelle,
rotor, tower, transformer, turbine, vane, wire, substation, or control
facilities and/or other components used in the system. A turbine or
windmill may be on a horizontal or vertical axis. A wind energy conversion
system may consist of one or more wind turbines.
(1)
RESIDENTIAL WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM (RESIDENTIAL WECS)A wind energy conversion system (WECS) consisting of one wind turbine, one tower, and associated control or conversion electronics and delivery system, which has a total height of more than 36 feet, but no greater than 100 feet, and with a rated output less than or equal to 10 kilowatts.
(2)
INDUSTRIAL WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM (INDUSTRIAL WECS)A wind energy conversion system (WECS) consisting of one wind turbine, one tower, and associated control or conversion electronics and delivery system, which has a total height of more than 100 feet, but no greater than 200 feet, and with a rated output less than or equal to 1.5 MW.
WIND ENERGY FACILITY
Any wind energy conversion system, including industrial systems,
residential systems, or meteorological towers (MET towers), including
all related infrastructure, electrical lines, substations, access
roads, and accessory structures.