South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Subchapter 61-107 - Solid Waste Management
Subchapter 61-107.20 - Solar Energy Systems
Section 61-107.20.B - Definition

1. Decommission" means the removal and proper disposal of solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices located on real property utilized by or in a large solar energy system. "Decommission" includes the reasonable restoration of the property upon which such solar equipment, facilities, or devices are located, including, but not limited to:

2. "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

3. "End-of-life solar panel" means, for the purpose of this regulation, any solar panel, solar energy equipment or other materials that is no longer suitable for its original intended purpose because of wear, damage, or defect.

4. "Existing large solar energy system (system)" means a large solar energy system installed prior to promulgation of this regulation. The system is considered installed if: onsite physical construction has begun, or the owner or operator has entered into contractual obligations for the installation of the system.

5. "Financial assurance mechanism" means, for the purpose of this regulation, a mechanism designed to demonstrate that sufficient funds will be available to meet specific environmental protection needs of a large solar energy system. Available financial assurance mechanisms include cash, insurance, trust funds, surety bonds, letters of credit, certificates of deposit, and financial tests as determined by the Department, per regulation.

6. "Generation" means the act or process of producing waste materials.

7. "Ground-mounted solar energy systems" means a solar energy system that is structurally mounted to the ground.

8. "Hazardous waste" is defined in Section 44-56-20 of the South Carolina Hazardous Waste Management Act and is applicable to this regulation.

9. "Landowner" means a person or corporation who has assumed legal ownership of the property upon which a solar energy system is constructed.

10. "Large solar energy system" means a ground-mounted solar energy system that occupies in excess of thirteen (13) acres.

11. "Operator" means the person or corporation responsible for the overall operation of a solar energy system.

12. "Owner" means the person or corporation who has assumed legal ownership of the solar energy system through the provisions of a contract or other legally binding transfer of ownership.

13. "Person" means an individual, business entity, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, not-for-profit corporation, association, public benefit corporation, or public authority.

14. "Photovoltaic device" means a device that generates electricity directly from sunlight via an electronic process that occurs naturally in certain types of material, such as semiconductors.

15. "Reasonably restored" means to place a solar energy system back into its original state or in accordance with any other applicable contract between the owner and landowner.

16. "Rooftop solar energy system" means a solar energy system that is structurally mounted to the roof of a house, building, or other structure and does not qualify as a large solar energy system.

17. "Solar energy equipment" means electrical material, hardware, inverters, conduit, storage devices, footings, braces, stands or any other equipment to any electric grid equipment associated with the operation of a solar energy system.

18. "Solar energy system" means components and subsystems required to convert solar energy into electric energy suitable for use. The term includes, but is not limited to, solar panels and solar energy equipment. The area of a solar energy system includes all the land inside the perimeter of the solar energy system, which extends to any interconnection equipment.

19. "Solar panel" means a photovoltaic device capable of collecting and converting solar energy into electricity.

20. Solid waste" is defined in Section 44-96-40 of the South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act and is applicable to this regulation.