[Adopted 12-26-2018 by L.L. No. 13-2018]
This article is adopted pursuant to the authority granted to
the Town of Victor at Municipal Home Rule Law.
This law shall be known as and may be cited as Local Law No. 13-2018 to implement Chapter
103 Energy Systems, Article
I, Solar Photovoltaic Systems of the Town of Victor. The purpose of this article is to implement Chapter
103 Energy Systems, Article
I, Solar Photovoltaic Systems in order to encourage and promote safe, effective, and efficient use of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which reduce on-site consumption of utility-supplied energy, and to protect the health, safety and welfare of adjacent and surrounding land uses and properties.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AGRICULTURAL LAND, PRIME OR IMPORTANT
Three acres or more of prime farmland, farmland of statewide
importance or soils classified as Class 1 through 4 as documented
in the Soil Group Worksheets prepared by the Ontario County Soil and
Water Conservation District and used by the Town Assessor in calculation
of agricultural use exemption values, that has been used for agricultural
production during the past five years and/or is suitable for use in
agricultural production.
BUILDING-INTEGRATED SOLAR PV SYSTEM
A solar PV system that is designed and constructed as an
integral part of a principal or accessory structure. Components of
a building-integrated system are designed to replace or substitute
for architectural or structural elements of a building and generally
complement, blend with or form part of a structure's architectural
appearance. Such components will generally maintain a uniform plane
with and/or form a part of the walls, window openings, roofing and/or
other building elements into which they are integrated. A building-integrated
system may occur: within vertical facades; replacing view-glass, spandrel
glass or other facade material; within semitransparent skylight systems;
within roofing systems, replacing traditional roofing materials; or
within other building envelope systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER (EM)
An individual possessing the skills and knowledge to effectively
develop a site for use as a solar PV system and then reclaim the site
restoring it, to the greatest extent practical, to its original use.
FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE
Land designated as "farmland of statewide importance" in
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS)'s Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database on
Web Soil Survey based on soil characteristics that is of statewide
importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed
crops as determined by the appropriate state agency or agencies. Farmland
of statewide importance may include tracts of land that have been
designated for agriculture by state law.
GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR PV SYSTEM
A solar PV system, including its specialized racking or other
mounting system(s), which is installed on the ground and not attached
to any other structure.
GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR PV SYSTEM, LARGE-SCALE
A ground-mounted solar PV system that has a system capacity
greater than 25 kilowatts (kW) and/or generates more than 110% of
kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity consumed over previous twelve-month
period by land use(s) existing on the lot or parcel of land where
system is located. In applying this standard, electricity consumption
shall be determined by submission of utility bills showing electrical
usage over said twelve-month period, or by another means deemed acceptable
by the Code Enforcement Officer.
GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR PV SYSTEM, SMALL-SCALE
A ground-mounted solar PV system that is limited to a system
capacity of 25 kw and/or generated no more than 110% of the kilowatt-hours
of electricity consumed over the previous twelve-month period by land
use(s) existing on the lot or parcel of land where system is located.
In applying this standard, electricity consumption shall be determined
by submission of utility bills showing electrical usage over said
twelve-month period, or by another means deemed acceptable by the
Code Enforcement Officer.
NET METER
A meter used to measure the flow of electricity from the
solar PV system to the electric utility grid for the purpose of net
metering.
ON-SITE NET ENERGY METERING
An arrangement accepted by the public utility whereby a customer-sited
renewable energy system is connected to the utility grid through a
customer's utility meter ("behind-the-meter generation.") At
any given moment, if the site is using more electricity than the system
is producing, all the electricity produced by the system is used on-site
and the site's electricity needs are supplemented from the grid.
If the site is using less electricity than the system is producing,
the excess electricity is exported to the grid and the customer receives
a credit.
PRIME FARMLAND
Land, designated as "prime farmland" in the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)'s
Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database on Web Soil Survey based
on soil characteristics that has the best combination of physical
and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber,
and oilseed crops and is also available for these land uses.
PV SYSTEM COVERAGE
The entire surface area covered by a solar panel, or physically
connected group of panels, regardless of the method by which the panels
are supported or attached to the ground, as measured on a horizontal
plane projected from the perimeter of said panel, or group of panels,
vertically to the ground. For tilting panels, PV system coverage shall
be determined by the tilt angle producing the greatest PV system coverage.
REMOTE NET METERING
An arrangement with public utility that allows for the kilowatt-hours
(kwh) generated from a solar PV system located at a specific site
to be credited towards kwh of consumption at a different location.
SOLAR ARRAY
Any number of electrically connected solar photovoltaic (PV)
panels that are connected to the same inverter.
SOLAR PANEL
A device, containing photovoltaic cells, capable of collecting
and converting solar energy into electrical energy.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEM
A solar energy collection system consisting of solar photovoltaic
cells, panels and/or arrays, and other related equipment, which rely
upon solar radiation as an energy source for collection, inversion,
storage and distribution of solar energy for electricity generation.
A solar PV system may be building-mounted, ground-mounted or building-integrated.
Notwithstanding the area, lot and bulk requirements of the Zoning
Chapter, roof-mounted and building-integrated PV systems may be
installed on nonconforming buildings as follows:
A. On the roof of a nonconforming building that exceeds the maximum
height restriction. System may not extend above the peak of highest
point of the roof to which it is mounted.
B. On a building that does not meet the minimum setback or yard requirements,
provided there is no increase in the extent or degree of nonconformity.
C. On a building that exceeds the maximum lot coverage requirements,
provided there is no increase in the extent or degree of nonconformity.