Washington Administrative Code
Title 504 - Washington State University
Chapter 504-49 - RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Part II - PARTICIPATION AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, AND INCENTIVE LEVELS BY PROJECT TYPE
Section 504-49-210 - Renewable energy project requirements
Universal Citation: WA Admin Code 504-49-210
Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
Any person, business, or household, as defined in WAC 504-49-150, that participates in any of the four types of renewable energy projects defined in sections 5 through 8, chapter 36, Laws of 2017, 3rd sp. sess. (ESSB 5939), must meet the specified participation requirements and is subject to the system capacity limits, application requirements, and incentive limits, as follows:
(1) Residential-scale:
(a) Participation: The
participant must be an owner of a residential-scale renewable energy system
that is not a utility and:
(i) Is a customer
of the utility that serves that location and has established an interconnection
agreement with the utility for the renewable energy system; and
(ii) Either owns or occupies the premises
where the renewable energy system is installed.
(b) Capacity: Twelve kilowatts direct current
or less, combined:
(i) Example 1: A property
with a six kilowatts direct current solar system on one structure and a five
kilowatts direct current system on the same or separate structure qualifies for
the residential-scale incentive rate because the total capacity is less than
twelve kilowatts direct current, combined.
(ii) Example 2: A property with a six
kilowatts direct current solar system on one structure and a seven kilowatts
direct current system on the same or separate structure does not qualify for
the residential-scale incentive rate because the total capacity is greater than
twelve kilowatts direct current, combined. This combined system instead
qualifies for the commercial-scale incentive rate.
(iii) Example 3: A property with a twelve
kilowatt direct current solar system, production metered and applying for the
incentive, and any additional direct current system, production metered or not,
and not applying for the incentive, on the same or separate structure, does not
qualify for the residential-scale incentive rate because the combined capacity
is greater than twelve kilowatts direct current. This combined system instead
qualifies for the commercial-scale incentive rate.
(iv) In the case of multiple renewable energy
systems on a structure such as a condominium or commercial building, each
having a separate customer-owner and separate utility and production meters,
each system, if under twelve kilowatts direct current, would qualify for the
residential-scale rate.
(c) Application: The owner submits a
completed application to the energy program for certification per requirements
specified in WAC 504-49-220.
(d)
Annual incentive limit: Five thousand dollars per person, business, or
household.
(2) Commercial-scale:
(a) Participation: The
participant must be an owner of a commercial-scale renewable energy system that
is not a utility and:
(i) Is a customer of
the utility that serves that location and has established an interconnection
agreement with the utility for the renewable energy system; and
(ii) Either owns or occupies the premises
where the renewable energy system is installed.
(b) Capacity: Greater than twelve kilowatts
direct current, combined.
(i) Example 1: A
property with a six kilowatts direct current solar system on one structure and
a seven kilowatts direct current system on the same or separate structure
qualifies for the commercial-scale incentive rate because the total capacity is
greater than twelve kilowatts direct current, combined.
(ii) Example 2: A property with a six
kilowatts direct current solar system on one structure and a five kilowatts
direct current system on the same or separate structure qualifies for the
residential-scale incentive rate because the total capacity is less than twelve
kilowatts direct current, combined.
(c) Application: The owner submits a
completed application to the energy program for certification per requirements
specified in WAC 504-49-220.
(d)
Annual incentive limit: Twenty-five thousand dollars per person, business, or
household.
(3) Shared commercial solar:
(a) Administration:
Administrators of this project type must be a utility or a business under
contract with a utility;
(b)
Participation: Projects must have at least five project participants, each of
which is a customer of the utility and located in the state of
Washington;
(c) Capacity: Combined
nameplate capacity greater than one megawatt direct current and not more than
five megawatts direct current;
(d)
Application:
(i) Precertification. Prior to
applying for certification, a shared commercial solar administrator must apply
for precertification against the remaining funds available for incentive
payments as of July 1, 2017. Precertification application requirements include,
but are not limited to:
(A) The name of the
utility serving the project location;
(B) Contact information for the project
administrator and technical management personnel; and
(C) System information, including system
component details and operation data such as global positioning system
coordinates, tilt, estimated shading, and azimuth, as applicable;
(D) Additional information regarding
deployment of projects in low- and moderate-income communities, as those terms
are defined in
RCW
43.63A.510, as requested.
(ii) Certification. The
application for certification may not exceed the precertified system capacity.
An application for certification must be completed by the shared commercial
solar project administrator and approved by the energy program within one year
of precertification issuance. Extensions past the three hundred sixty-five-day
period are not granted. Projects that do not meet this deadline lose
precertification status.
(e) Incentive rate: The incentive rate is set
at the date of precertification approval;
(f) Annual incentive limit: Thirty-five
thousand dollars per participant (person, business, household), consistent with
their share of participation.
(4) Community solar project:
(a) Administration: A utility, nonprofit, or
local housing authority that organizes or administers a solar
project;
(b) Participation: The
project must have at least ten participants, or one participant for every ten
kilowatts direct current nameplate capacity, whichever is greater; and all
participants must be customers of the participating utility;
(c) Capacity: Nameplate capacity that is no
more than one thousand kilowatts direct current;
(d) There are no limitations on location
unless stated in this section: Community solar project systems must be located
in the state of Washington;
(e)
Application:
(i) Precertification. Prior to
applying for certification, a community solar project administrator must apply
for precertification against the remaining funds available for incentive
payments as of July 1, 2017. Precertification application requirements include,
but are not limited to:
(A) The name of the
utility serving the project location;
(B) Contact information for the project
administrator and technical management personnel; and
(C) System information, including system
component details and operation data such as global positioning system
coordinates, tilt, estimated shading, and azimuth, as applicable.
(ii) Certification. The
application for certification may not exceed the precertified system capacity.
An application for certification must be completed by the community solar
project administrator and approved by the energy program within one year of
precertification issuance. Extensions past the three hundred sixty-five-day
period are not granted. Projects that do not meet this deadline lose
precertification status.
(f) Incentive rate: The incentive rate is set
at the date of precertification approval;
(g) Annual incentive limit: Five thousand
dollars per participant (person, business, household), consistent with their
share of participation.
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