As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY STRUCTUREA structure, the use of which is customarily incidental and subordinate to that of the principal building and which is not attached thereto, and which is located on the same lot or premises as the principal building.
COLLECTIVE SOLARSolar installations owned collectively through subdivision homeowner associations, "adopt-a-solar-panel" programs, or other similar arrangements.
FLUSH-MOUNTED SOLAR PANELPhotovoltaic panels and tiles that are installed flush to the surface of a roof and which cannot be angled or raised.
LARGE-SCALE SOLARSolar photovoltaic systems that produce 10 or more kilowatts (kW) per hour of energy or solar-thermal systems which serve the building to which they are attached.
NET METERINGA billing arrangement that allows solar customers to get credit for excess electricity that they generate and deliver back to the grid so that they only pay for their net electricity usage.
PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEMA solar energy system that produces electricity by the use of semiconductor devices, called "photovoltaic cells," that generate electricity whenever light strikes them.
QUALIFIED SOLAR INSTALLERA person who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of solar electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training on the hazards involved. Persons who are on the list of eligible photovoltaic installers maintained by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), or who are certified as a solar installer by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), shall be deemed to be qualified solar installers for the purposes of this definition. Persons who are not on NYSERDA's list of eligible installers or NABCEP's list of certified installers may be deemed to be qualified solar installers if the Town determines such persons have had adequate training to determine the degree and extent of the hazard and the personal protective equipment and job planning necessary to perform the installation safely. Such training shall include the proper use of special precautionary techniques and personal protective equipment, as well as the skills and techniques necessary to distinguish exposed energized parts from other parts of electrical equipment and to determine the nominal voltage of exposed live parts.
ROOFTOP-MOUNTED SOLAR SYSTEMA solar power system in which solar panels are mounted on top of the structure of a roof as a flush-mounted system.
SMALL-SCALE SOLARA photovoltaic system that produces up to, but less than, 10 kilowatts (kW) per hour of energy and does not provide energy for any other buildings.
SOLAR ACCESSSpace open to the sun and clear of overhangs or shade, including, but not limited to, the orientation of streets and lots to the sun, so as to permit the use of active and/or passive solar energy systems on individual properties.
SOLAR COLLECTORA solar photovoltaic cell, panel, or array, or solar hot air or water collector device, which relies upon solar radiation as an energy source for the generation of electricity or transfer of stored heat.
SOLAR ENERGY EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMSolar collectors, controls, energy storage devices, heat pumps, heat exchangers, and other materials, hardware or equipment necessary to the process by which solar radiation is collected, converted into another form of energy, stored, protected from unnecessary dissipation and distributed. Solar systems include solar thermal, photovoltaic and concentrated solar.
SOLAR PANELA device for the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity.
SOLAR-THERMAL SYSTEMSSolar thermal systems directly heat water or other liquid using sunlight. The heated liquid is used for such purposes as space heating and cooling, domestic hot water, and heating pool water.