Chapter PSC 119

Chapter PSC 119

RULES FOR INTERCONNECTING DISTRIBUTED GENERATION FACILITIES

Subchapter I — General

PSC 119.01   Scope.

PSC 119.02   Definitions.

PSC 119.025   Adoption of standards by reference.

Subchapter II — General Requirements

PSC 119.03   Designated point of contact.

PSC 119.04   Application process for interconnecting DG facilities.

PSC 119.05   Insurance and indemnification.

PSC 119.06   Modifications to the DG facility.

PSC 119.07   Easements and rights-of-way.

PSC 119.08   Fees and distribution system costs.

PSC 119.09   Disconnection.

PSC 119.10   One-line schematic diagram.

PSC 119.11   Control schematics.

PSC 119.12   Site plan.

PSC 119.13   Pre-application report.

Subchapter III — Design Requirements

PSC 119.20   General design requirements.

PSC 119.25   Minimum protection requirements.

Subchapter IV — Equipment Certification

PSC 119.26   Certified paralleling equipment.

PSC 119.27   Non-certified paralleling equipment.

Subchapter V — Testing of DG Facility Installations

PSC 119.30   Unintentional islanding test.

PSC 119.31   Commissioning tests for paralleling equipment in Categories 2 to 4.

PSC 119.32   Additional test.

PSC 119.40   Dispute Procedures.

subch. I of ch. PSC 119 Subchapter I — General

PSC 119.01 PSC 119.01 Scope. This chapter implements s. 196.496, Stats. It applies to all DG facilities with a capacity of 15 MW or less that are interconnected, or whose owner seeks to have interconnected, to an electric public utility’s distribution system. It also applies to all electric public utilities to whose distribution systems a DG facility is interconnected, or to which interconnection is sought. These rules establish uniform statewide standards for the interconnection of DG facilities to an electric distribution system.

PSC 119.01 History History: CR 03-003: cr. Register January 2004 No. 577, eff. 2-1-04.

PSC 119.02 PSC 119.02 Definitions. In this chapter:

PSC 119.02(1) (1) “ANSI” means American National Standards Institute.

PSC 119.02(2) (2) “Applicant” means the legally responsible person applying to a public utility to interconnect a DG facility to the public utility’s distribution system.

PSC 119.02(3) (3) “Application review” means a review by the public utility of the completed standard application form for interconnection, to determine if an engineering review or distribution system study is needed.

PSC 119.02(4) (4) “Category 1” means a DG facility with an export capacity of 20 kW or less. A DG facility comprised of a resource no larger than 20 kW with a non-exporting energy storage system no larger than 20 kW shall be considered a Category 1 system.

PSC 119.02(5) (5) “Category 2” means a DG facility with an export capacity of greater than 20 kW and not more than 200 kW. The nameplate rating shall be used instead of the export capacity for this definition if the non-exporting energy storage system is larger than 20 kW.

PSC 119.02(6) (6) “Category 3” means a DG facility with an export capacity of greater than 200 kW and not more than 1 MW. The nameplate rating shall be used instead of the export capacity for this definition if the non-exporting energy storage system is larger than 200 kW.

PSC 119.02(7) (7) “Category 4” means a DG facility with an export capacity of greater than 1 MW and not more than 15 MW.

PSC 119.02(8) (8) “Certified equipment” means a generating, control or protective system that has been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory as meeting acceptable safety and reliability standards.

PSC 119.02(9) (9) “Commission” means the public service commission of Wisconsin.

PSC 119.02(10) (10) “Commissioning test” means the process of documenting and verifying the performance of a DG facility so that it operates in conformity with the design specifications.

PSC 119.02(11) (11) “Customer” means any person who is receiving electric service from a public utility’s distribution system.

PSC 119.02(12) (12) “DG” means distributed generation.

PSC 119.02(13) (13) “DG facility” has the meaning given in s. 196.496 (1), Stats.

PSC 119.02(14) (14) “Distribution feeder” means an electric line from a public utility substation or other supply point to customers that is operated at 50 kV or less, or as determined by the commission.

PSC 119.02(15) (15) “Distribution system” means all electrical wires, equipment, and other facilities owned or provided by a public utility that are normally operated at 50 kV or less.

PSC 119.02(16) (16) “Distribution system study” means a study to determine if a distribution system upgrade is needed to accommodate the proposed DG facility and to determine the cost of any such upgrade.

PSC 119.02(16d) (16d) “Energy storage system” means a device or devices that capture energy produced at one time, store that energy for a period of time, and deliver that energy as electricity for use at a future time.

PSC 119.02(16h) (16h) “Energy storage system max continuous output kW in alternating current” means the maximum rated continuous power output of the energy storage system.

PSC 119.02 Note Note: This defined term should be used when completing the standard application form, PSC Form 6031.

PSC 119.02(16p) (16p) “Energy storage system max usable energy kWh in alternating current” means the maximum rated amount of energy stored in the energy storage system.

PSC 119.02 Note Note: This defined term should be used when completing the standard application form, PSC Form 6031.

PSC 119.02(16t) (16t) “Energy storage system peak output kW in alternating current” means while grid interactive, the maximum short duration rated output power of the energy storage system to the distribution system.

PSC 119.02 Note Note: This defined term should be used when completing the standard application form, PSC Form 6031.

PSC 119.02(17) (17) “Engineering review” means a study that may be undertaken by a public utility, in response to its receipt of a completed standard application form for interconnection, to determine the suitability of the installation.

PSC 119.02(17m) (17m) “Export capacity kW in alternating current” means the amount of power that can be transferred from the DG facility to the distribution system. Export capacity is the lesser of the following:

PSC 119.02(17m)(a) (a) The nameplate rating.

PSC 119.02(17m)(b) (b) If limited using any approved means, that limited amount.

PSC 119.02(18) (18) “Fault” means an equipment failure, conductor failure, short circuit, or other condition resulting from abnormally high amounts of current from the power source.

PSC 119.02(19) (19) “IEEE” means Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

PSC 119.02(20) (20) “Interconnection” means the physical connection of a DG facility to the distribution system so that parallel operation can occur.

PSC 119.02(21) (21) “Interconnection disconnect switch” means a mechanical device used to disconnect a DG facility from a distribution system.

PSC 119.02(22) (22) “Inverter” means a machine, device, or system that converts direct current power to alternating current power.

PSC 119.02(23) (23) “Islanding” means a condition on the distribution system in which a DG facility delivers power to customers using a portion of the distribution system that is electrically isolated from the remainder of the distribution system.

PSC 119.02(24) (24) “kV” means kilovolt.

PSC 119.02(25) (25) “kW” means kilowatt. Unless otherwise specified, the definition references units in alternating current.

PSC 119.02(26) (26) “Material modification” means any modification that changes the maximum electrical output of a DG facility or changes the interconnection equipment, including:

PSC 119.02(26)(a) (a) Changing from certified to non-certified devices.

PSC 119.02(26)(b) (b) Replacing a component with a component of different functionality or UL listing.

PSC 119.02(27) (27) “MW” means megawatt. Unless otherwise specified, the definition references units in alternating current.

PSC 119.02(27m) (27m) “Nameplate rating alternating current” means the sum total of maximum continuous rated power (kW) output while grid connected of all of a DG facility’s constituent generating units or energy storage systems, or both, as identified on the manufacturer nameplate, regardless of whether it is limited by any approved means.

PSC 119.02(28) (28) “Nationally recognized testing laboratory” means any testing laboratory recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s accreditation program.

PSC 119.02 Note Note: A list of nationally recognized testing laboratories is available at www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.

PSC 119.02(29) (29) “Network service” means 2 or more primary distribution feeders electrically connected on the low voltage side of 2 or more transformers, to form a single power source for any customer.

PSC 119.02(30) (30) “Parallel operation” means the operation, for longer than 100 milliseconds, of an on-site DG facility while the facility is connected to the energized distribution system.

PSC 119.02(31) (31) “Paralleling equipment” means the generating and protective equipment system that interfaces and synchronizes a DG facility with the distribution system.

PSC 119.02(32) (32) “Point of common coupling” means the point where the electrical power system of the applicant seeking to interconnect a DG facility is electrically connected to the distribution system. The point of common coupling is equivalent, in most cases, to the service point as specified by the public utility and described in the National Electric Code and National Electrical Safety Code.

PSC 119.02 Note Note: National electric codes are adopted in Wisconsin Electrical Safety Code Volumes 1 and 2, as found in ch. PSC 114 and ch. SPS 316.

PSC 119.02(32m) (32m) “Power factor” means the ratio of active power to apparent power.

PSC 119.02(33) (33) “Public utility” has the meaning given in s. 196.01 (5), Stats.

PSC 119.02(34) (34) “Standard application form” means PSC Form 6031. The standard application form has supplements designed to collect information specific to different installations and technologies.