As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AGROPHOTOVOLTAIC (APV)
A photovoltaic system which utilizes the same area of land
or space for both solar photovoltaic power as well as for agriculture.
AGROVOLTAIC (AV)
A large-scale energy facility or a small-scale energy facility
which utilizes the same area of land or space for both power generation
or storage as well as for agriculture.
ANEMOMETER
A small-scale energy facility device that measures the wind
speed and transmits wind speed data to the controller.
AVERAGE ANNUAL ENERGY NEEDS (AAEN)
The average annual energy usage and demands of a property
and the appurtenances upon it. The average annual energy usage is
based on the electrical service provider's information on the
property for the past two calendar years, or 24 months, in addition
to 10% of said amount to account for changes in energy demands; or
reasonable good faith estimates as provided by a licensed professional
engineer.
BIOPHOTOVOLTAIC (BPV)
A photovoltaic system which solely uses biological organisms
in order to produce energy or work.
FALL ZONE
The area, defined as the furthest distance from the tower
base, in which a tower will collapse in the event of a structural
failure.
FARM PLAN
A plan that details how agricultural activities will take
place at an agrovoltaic facility including but not limited to plan
to hire or contract a farm manager, maintenance, rotation schedules,
management of grazing, maintenance of vegetation, feed and water lots,
plans for shelter and fencing, spray plans, number of beehives, and
other related aspects.
FULL CUTOFF LUMINAIRE
An Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA)
classification that describes a luminaire having a light distribution
in which zero candela intensity occurs at or above an angle of 90°
above nadir. Additionally, the candela per 1,000 lamp lumens does
not numerically exceed 100 (10%) at or above a vertical angle of 80°
above nadir. This applies to all lateral angles around the luminaire.
HYBRID SYSTEM
An energy system that uses more than one technology to produce
energy or work.
INTEGRATED PV
Photovoltaics incorporated into building materials, such
as shingles, windows, facades, skylights, etc.
LARGE-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (LSESS)
A facility wherein, one or more devices, assembled together,
and/or structures capable of storing energy or energy potential in
order to supply electrical energy at a future time, not to include
gas stations, electric charging stations, fossil fuel storage, biological
energy storage, mechanical energy storage, thermal energy storage,
a stand-alone 12 volt car battery, or an electric motor vehicle. Such
devices and/or structures are capable of storing more energy than
the AAEN of the property upon which the LSESS is located.
LARGE-SCALE SOLAR FACILITY
A facility that meets all of the following criteria:
A.
The facility has a total area impacted by the construction and
operation of the facility greater than two acres;
B.
The facility does not solely utilize integrated photovoltaic
systems; and
C.
The facility either:
(1)
Generates electricity from sunlight, and consists of photovoltaic
systems and other appurtenant structures and facilities within the
boundaries of the site; or
(2)
Utilizes sunlight as an energy source to heat or cool buildings,
heat or cool water, or produces mechanical power by means of any combination
of collecting, transferring, or converting solar-generated energy.
LARGE-SCALE WIND FACILITY
A facility consisting of one or more wind turbines, towers,
and associated control or conversion electronics, either having a
rated nameplate capacity greater than the AAEN for the property which
it is located or a disturbance zone greater than two acres.
NET ENERGY METERING
Measuring the difference, over the net metering period, between:
A.
Electricity supplied to an eligible customer-generator, as defined
by Code of Virginia § 56-594(B), from the electric grid;
and
B.
The electricity generated and fed back to the electric grid
by the eligible customer-generator.
NET METERING PERIOD
The twelve-month period following the date of final interconnection
of the eligible customer-generator's system with an electric
service provider, and each twelve-month period thereafter.
PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV)
Materials and devices that absorb sunlight and convert it
directly into electricity.
RATED NAMEPLATE CAPACITY
The maximum capacity of an energy project based on the sum
total of each system's nameplate capacity.
ROTOR DIAMETER
The diameter of the circle described by the moving rotor
blades.
SHADOW/FLICKER
The visible flicker effect that occurs when rotating turbine
blades cast shadows on the ground and nearby structures causing the
repeating pattern of light and shadow.
SMALL-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (SSESS)
A facility wherein, one or more devices, assembled together,
and/or structures capable of storing energy or energy potential in
order to supply electrical energy at a future time. Such devices and/or
structures are capable of storing less than or equal to the AAEN of
the property upon which the SSESS is located unless the facility is
a gas station, electric charging station, fossil fuel storage, biological
energy storage, mechanical energy storage, thermal energy storage,
a stand-alone 12 volt car battery, or an electric motor vehicle.
SMALL-SCALE SOLAR FACILITY
A facility that either:
A.
Has a total area impacted by the construction and operation
of the facility no greater than two acres; or
B.
Can only meet the property's AAEN by exceeding the allowed
two acres of total area impacted by the construction and operation
of the facility, all other options must be exhausted and reasons for
why other options are not viable must be provided in a signed statement
by a professional engineer; or
C.
Is to be mounted on or over a building, cemetery, redevelopment,
parking lot, other impervious surface, irrigation rig, trailer, train,
boat, bicycle, or vehicle; or
D.
Solely utilizes integrated photovoltaic systems; or
E.
Solely utilizes biophotovoltaic systems further defined in §
165-169.
SMALL-SCALE WIND FACILITY
A facility that either does not have a total capacity that
exceeds the AAEN of the property or disturbance zone greater than
two acres which it is located and is either:
A.
Building-mounted and has a wind turbine height no more than
15 feet above the highest point of the roof; or
B.
Ground-mounted and has a wind turbine height no more than 15
feet above the highest point of the primary structure's roof;
or
C.
Is an anemometer, windmill, or wind monitoring or meteorological
tower.
SUBSTATIONS
Any electrical system designed to convert electricity produced
by solar energy equipment to a voltage greater than 35 kilovolts (kV)
for interconnection with high voltage transmission lines.
TRANSMISSION LINE
Those electrical power lines that carry voltages of at least
69 kilovolts (kV), and are primarily used to carry electric energy
from place to place, rather than directly interconnecting and supplying
electric energy to retail customers.
WIND MONITORING OR METEOROLOGICAL TOWER
A small-scale energy facility tower equipped with devices
to measure wind speeds and direction, used to determine how much wind
power a site can expect to generate.
WIND TURBINE
A wind energy conversion device that produces electricity;
it typically has one, two or three blades and may include a nacelle,
rotor, generator, controller, and tower among other components.
WIND TURBINE HEIGHT
The distance measured from grade to the highest point of
the turbine rotor or tip of the turbine blade when it reaches its
highest elevation.
WINDMILL
A small-scale energy facility consisting of a machine designed
to convert the energy of the wind into more useful forms using rotating
blades to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work, such as crushing
grain or pumping water.
An application for a special use permit for a large-scale energy
facility shall include the following:
A. A site plan that shows:
(1)
Property lines and setback lines with all aboveground facilities
being considered a structure (excluding any perimeter security fencing);
(2)
Existing and proposed buildings and structures, including preliminary
location(s) of the proposed energy equipment;
(3)
Existing and proposed access roads, drives, turnout locations,
and parking; however, this requirement shall not exceed VDOT requirements;
(4)
Noise levels at the property line of the project boundary in
dBAs;
(5)
Location of Knox-Boxes on the site;
(6)
Screen buffers or other mitigation measures to address the concerns
from the viewshed impact study;
(7)
The location of vegetation supporting pollinators to be planted
in accordance with the applicant's pollinator plan;
(8)
Wildlife corridors, being at least 50 feet in width or larger
per the wildlife corridor impact analysis;
(9)
Soil classification and the percentage of each class in the
disturbance zone;
(10)
Location of historic, cultural, and scenic resources and the
distance the project is located from said resources;
(11)
Location of the floodplain, 100-Foot Stream Buffer, wetlands,
sinkholes, and critical slopes and the distance the project is located
from said aspects;
(12)
Location of the proposed large-scale energy facilities, as well
as a description of any other such large-scale energy facilities,
within a mile radius of the project site's proposed disturbance
zone.
(13)
Location of substations, electrical cabling from the energy
systems to the substations, ancillary equipment, buildings, and structures
(including those within any applicable setbacks); and
(14)
Fencing and other methods of ensuring public safety such as
warning signage.
B. Documentation demonstrating the following:
(1)
Potential impact on wildlife, especially endangered or threatened
species, on the site and in any biologically significant area surrounding
the site;
(2)
Solid waste or hazardous waste generated by the project and
methods of disposal thereof;
(3)
Lighting plan showing impacts on adjacent properties;
(4)
A description of emergency and normal shutdown procedures, including
but not limited to:
(a)
Procedures for safe shutdown, de-energizing, or isolation of
equipment and systems under emergency conditions to reduce the risk
of fire, electric shock, release of hazardous materials and personal
injuries, and for safe start-up following cessation of emergency conditions.
(b)
Procedures for inspection and testing of associated alarms,
interlocks, and controls.
(c)
Procedures to be followed in response to notifications from
the large-scale energy facility, when provided, that could signify
potentially dangerous conditions, including shutting down equipment,
summoning service and repair personnel, and providing agreed upon
notification to Fire Department personnel for potentially hazardous
condition in the event of a system failure.
(d)
Emergency procedures to be followed in case of fire, explosion,
release of liquids or vapors, damage to critical moving parts, or
other potentially dangerous conditions.
(5)
Impacts to public safety and public safety services;
(6)
Economic impact analysis (EIA) as defined in §
165-4;
(7)
Water quality impact analysis (WQIA) as defined in §
165-4;
(8)
Soil quality impact analysis (SQIA) as defined in §
165-4;
(9)
Wildlife corridor analysis (WCA) as defined in §
165-4;
(10)
Historic, cultural, and scenic resources impact analysis (HCSRIA) as defined in §
165-4; and
(11)
Potential hazards to adjacent properties, public roadways, communities,
and aviation, etc., and responses to such hazards.
C. A pollinator plan, as defined in §
165-4.
D. A viewshed impact study, as defined in §
165-4.
E. A decommissioning plan per Article
XXI, Decommissioning.
F. The following additional information must be provided if requested
by the Zoning Administrator: a scaled elevation view and other supporting
drawings, photographs of the proposed site, photo or other realistic
simulations or modeling of the proposed large-scale energy facility
from viewshed locations determined by the Zoning Administrator to
assess the visual impact of the project, landscaping and screening
plan, and coverage map.
The following provisions shall apply and be conditions that
are a part of each special use permit granted by the Board of Supervisors
for a large-scale energy facility unless expressly exempted therefrom:
A. Knox-Boxes and keys shall be provided at locked entrances for emergency
personnel access. Warning signage shall be placed on electrical equipment
and facility entrances;
B. The large-scale energy facility shall adhere to Article
XXI, Decommissioning;
C. The applicant of a large-scale energy facility shall hold at least
one community meeting, which community meeting shall occur at least
four weeks prior to public hearing held by the Planning Commission
on the application;
D. Large-scale energy facilities shall include a wildlife corridor at
least 50 feet in width if the wildlife corridor analysis concludes
that there is any impact from the project to wildlife or wildlife
corridors;
E. Large-scale energy facilities shall not be located within 300 feet
of historical, cultural, and scenic resources;
F. Large-scale energy facilities shall not be located within the floodplain,
100-Foot stream buffer, tree canopy cover, wildlife habitat core,
wildlife habitat edge, critical slopes, ridge areas, agricultural
and forestal districts, and at least 50 feet back from wetlands, caves,
springs, or sinkholes;
G. The applicant, owner, or operator of a large-scale energy facility
shall coordinate with the County's emergency services staff to
provide any specialized materials, education and/or training that
may be reasonably necessary for the departments serving the property
to safely respond to on-site emergencies;
H. All equipment of a large-scale energy facility that is open to the
weather shall be considered impervious surfaces and be considered
as so for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management;
I. Clearing of natural vegetation shall be limited to that which is
necessary for the construction, operation and maintenance of the large-scale
energy facility. Adherence to erosion and sediment control regulations
is required. The restoration of natural vegetation in areas denuded
for construction activities shall be required so long as the restored
vegetation does not interfere with the operation of the large-scale
energy facility or the maintenance thereof. Once the project has been
established the project must maintain 100% vegetation coverage on
the site, not including the location taken up by fencing, materials,
or other structures incidental to the site but to include areas underneath
which have access to sunlight;
J. The applicant and/or operator of the project shall install and maintain
any required screen buffer;
K. The applicant and/or operator shall establish and maintain sufficient
access to enable emergency vehicles to provide services to the large-scale
solar facility and appurtenant structures;
L. A sealed dry-waste container shall be maintained at the large-scale
solar facility for the storage and disposal of any hazardous waste,
including, but not limited to, damaged solar panels or equipment;
M. All large-scale energy facilities must enter into a siting agreement
per Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2316.7, with the Shenandoah
County Board of Supervisors.