As used in this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a)
“Gas customer” includes both “core” and “noncore” customers, as those terms are used in Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 328) of Part 1, that receive retail end-use gas service within the service territory of a gas corporation.
(b)
“kWth” means the kilowatt thermal capacity of a solar water heating system, measured consistent with the standard established by the SRCC.
(c)
“kWhth” means kilowatthours thermal as measured by the number of kilowatts thermal generated, or displaced, in an hour.
(d)
“Low-income residential housing” means either of the following:
(1)
Residential housing financed with low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, or local, state, or federal loans or grants, and for which the rents of the occupants who are lower income households, as defined in Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, do not exceed those prescribed by deed restrictions or regulatory agreements pursuant to the terms
of the financing or financial assistance.
(2)
A residential complex in which at least 20 percent of the total units are sold or rented to lower income households, as defined in Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, and the housing units targeted for lower income households are subject to a deed restriction or affordability covenant with a public entity that ensures that the units will be available at an affordable housing cost meeting the requirements of Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or at an affordable rent meeting the requirements of Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code, for a period of not less than 30 years.
(e)
“New Solar Homes Partnership” means the 10-year program, administered by the Energy Commission, encouraging solar energy systems in new home construction.
(f)
“Solar
heating collector” means a device that is used to collect or capture heat from the sun and that is generally, but need not be, located on a roof.
(g)
“Solar water heating system” means a solar energy device that has the primary purpose of reducing demand for natural gas through water heating, space heating, or other methods of capturing energy from the sun to reduce natural gas consumption in a home, business, or any building or facility receiving natural gas that is subject to the surcharge established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2863, or exempt from the surcharge pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 2863, and that meets or exceeds the eligibility criteria established pursuant to Section 2864. “Solar water heating systems” include multifamily residential, governmental, educational, and nonprofit solar pool heating systems, but do not include single-family residential solar pool heating systems.
(h)
“SRCC” means the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation.