Michigan Administrative Code
Department - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Public Service Commission
Interconnection and Distributed Generation Standards
Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section R. 460.901b - Definitions; J-Z

(a) "kW" means kilowatt.

(b) "kWac" means the electric power, in kilowatts, associated with the alternating current output of a DER at unity power factor.

(c) "kWh" means kilowatt-hours.

(d) "Legacy net metering program" means the true net metering or modified net metering programs in place prior to commission approval of a distributed generation program tariff pursuant to section 6a(14) of 1939 PA 3, MCL 460.6a, and prior to the establishment of an alternative electric supplier distributed generation plan.

(e) "Level 1" means a certified project of 20 kWac or less.

(f) "Level 2" means a certified project of greater than 20 kWac and not more than 150 kWac.

(g) "Level 3" means a project of 150 kWac or less that is not certified, or a project greater than 150 kWac and not more than 550 kWac.

(h) "Level 4" means a project of greater than 550 kWac and not more than 1 MWac.

(i) "Level 5" means a project of greater than 1 MWac.

(j) "Level 4 and 5 interconnection agreement" means an interconnection agreement applicable to level 4 and 5 interconnection applications.

(k) "Limited export" means the exporting capability of a DER whose export capacity is limited by means specified in an electric utility's interconnection procedures.

(l) "Low voltage distribution" means those parts of a distribution system that operate with a voltage range specified in the electric utility's interconnection procedures.

(m) "Mainline" means a conductor that serves as the three-phase backbone of a low voltage distribution circuit.

(n) "Material modification" means a modification to the DER nameplate rating, DER export capacity, electrical size of components, bill of materials, machine data, equipment configuration, or the interconnection site of the DER at any time after receiving notification by the electric utility of a complete interconnection application. Replacing a component with another component that has near-identical characteristics does not constitute a material modification when agreed to by the electric utility. For the proposed modification to be considered material, it shall have been reviewed and been determined to have or anticipated to have a material impact on 1 or more of the following:

(o) "Methane digester" means a renewable energy system that uses animal or agricultural waste for the production of fuel gas that can be burned for the generation of electricity or steam.

(p) "Modified net metering" means an electric utility billing method that applies the power supply component of the full retail rate to the net of the bidirectional flow of kWh across the customer interconnection with the electric utility's distribution system during a billing period or time-of-use pricing period.

(q) "MW" means megawatt.

(r) "MWac" means the electric power, in megawatts, associated with the alternating current output of a DER at unity power factor.

(s) "Nameplate rating" means the sum total of maximum rated power output of all a DER's constituent generating units and energy storage units as identified on the manufacturer nameplate, regardless of whether it is limited by any approved means. Nameplate rating includes all of the following:

(t) "Nationally recognized testing laboratory" means any testing laboratory recognized by the accreditation program of the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

(u) "Network protector" means those devices associated with a secondary network used to automatically disconnect a transformer when reverse power flow occurs.

(v) "Non-export track" means the procedure for evaluating a proposed interconnection that will not inject electric energy into an electric utility's distribution system, as described in R 460.942.

(w) "Parallel operation" means the operation, for longer than 100 milliseconds, of a DER while connected to the energized distribution system.

(x) "Party" or "parties" means an electric utility, applicant, or interconnection customer.

(y) "Point of common coupling" means the point where the DER connects with the electric utility's distribution system.

(z) "Power control system" means systems or devices that electronically limit or control steady state currents to a programmable limit.

(aa) "Radial supply" means a configuration of a distribution system or an area of a distribution system in which each customer can only be supplied electric energy by 1 substation transformer and distribution line at a time.

(bb) "Readily available" means no creation of data is required, and little or no computation or analysis of data is required.

(cc) "Regional transmission operator" means a voluntary organization of electric transmission owners, transmission users, and other entities approved by the federal energy regulatory commission to efficiently coordinate electric transmission planning, expansion, operation, and use on a regional and interregional basis.

(dd) "Renewable energy credit" means a credit granted pursuant to the commission's renewable energy credit certification and tracking program in section 41 of the clean and renewable energy and energy waste reduction act, 2008 PA 295, MCL 460.1041.

(ee) "Renewable energy resource" means that term as defined in section 11(i) of the clean and renewable energy and energy waste reduction act, 2008 PA 295, MCL 460.1011.

(ff) "Renewable energy system" means that term as defined in section 11(k) of the clean and renewable energy and energy waste reduction act, 2008 PA 295, MCL 460.1011.

(gg) 'secondary network" means those areas of a distribution system that operate at a secondary voltage level and are networked.

(hh) 'site" means a contiguous site, regardless of the number of meters at that site. A site that would be contiguous but for the presence of a street, road, or highway is considered to be contiguous for the purposes of these rules.

(ii) 'spot network" means a location on the distribution system that uses 2 or more inter-tied transformers to supply an electrical network circuit, such as a network circuit in a large building.

(jj) 'standard level 1, 2, and 3 interconnection agreement" means the statewide interconnection agreement approved by the commission and applicable to levels 1, 2 and 3 interconnection applications. A cover sheet including modifications to address any special operating conditions may be added.

(kk) 'study track" means the procedure used for evaluating a proposed interconnection as described in R 460.952 to R 460.962.

(ll) 'supplemental review" means the fast track supplemental review screens described in R 460.950.

(mm) 'system impact study" means a study to identify and describe the impacts to the electric utility's distribution system that would occur if the proposed DER were interconnected exactly as proposed and without any modifications to the electric utility's distribution system. A system impact study also identifies affected systems.

(nn) "Temporary DER" means a DER that is installed on the distribution system by the electric utility with the intention of not operating at the site permanently.

(oo) "True net metering" means an electric utility billing method that applies the full retail rate to the net of the bidirectional flow of kWh across the customer interconnection with the electric utility's distribution system, during a billing period or time-of-use pricing period.

(pp) "UL" means underwriters laboratory.

(qq) "UL 1741" means the September 28, 2021 edition of 'standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources," as adopted by reference in R 460.902.

(rr) "UL 1741 CRD for PCS" means the Certification Requirement Decision for Power Control Systems for the standard titled Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources, March 8, 2019, as adopted by reference in R 460.902(b).