Section 480-103-100 - Information to customers, project participants, and applicants(1)Transparent administration. A community solar company must administer its community solar projects in a transparent manner that allows for fair and nondiscriminatory opportunities for customers, project participants, and applicants to participate.(2)Cost recovery and notice. A community solar company may establish a reasonable fee to cover the costs it incurs to organize and administer its community solar projects. Prior to a customer making the commitment to participate in the project, the company must give clear and conspicuous notice to the customer of the portion of the incentive payment that the company will use for this purpose.(3)Service changes. A community solar company must promptly notify all affected project participants of any substantial change to the community solar project service the company provides. The community solar company must bear all costs in connection with making changes to its own equipment.(4)Information on rates, terms, and conditions. A community solar company must make information regarding its rates, rules, and regulations available at each of its listed business offices and on its web site.(5)Information a company must maintain. A community solar company must maintain and update annually through June 30, 2030, the following information for each community solar project it operates or administers: (a) Ownership information;(b) Contact information for any administrator of the community solar project;(c) Contact information for persons who will respond to technical management questions;(e) Email address at which the company will receive communications from the commission; and(f) Project design details including, but not limited to, project location, output capacity, equipment list, and interconnection information, and participation information, including rates, fees, terms, and conditions.(6)Toll-free number and email address. The community solar company must have a toll-free telephone number that can accept calls during business hours and an email address to receive inquiries relating to services and rates, to accept and process orders, to explain charges on customer bills, to adjust charges made in error, and to respond to customer and project participant inquiries and complaints. Callers to the telephone number must be able to leave a detailed message in the event that a person does not answer. The company must return all unanswered calls and respond to all emails within one business day.(7)Commission publication. A community solar company must provide each customer or potential project participant with a printed or electronic copy of the commission publication, Consumer Guide to Community Solar in Washington State at the time the company solicits participation in its community solar project. The company can obtain the publication from the commission's web site or by contacting the commission, and the company is responsible for making the requisite copies. The commission prescribes the language contained in the publication, and the company may not change that language.(8)Disclosure to applicants. A community solar company must provide to each applicant relevant rate information and a disclosure form that explains the rights and responsibilities of a project participant. The disclosure form must include all material terms and conditions of participation in the company's community solar project including, but not limited to, the following: (a) The company's regular business hours, mailing address, email address, web site, and toll-free telephone number;(b) Information about any administrator of the community solar project;(c) Contact information for questions and complaints;(d) All financial rights and obligations of a project participant related to the project;(e) The company's processes for establishing credit, making deposits, and handling delinquent accounts and cancellation;(f) The company's dispute resolution process and the commission's complaint procedures the project participant may use if the company's process does not resolve the dispute;(g) The company's billing and payment procedures;(h) All recurring and nonrecurring charges;(i) The terms under which the project's share of any incentive payment will be calculated by WSU over the life of the project;(j) Current project production projections and the methodology used to develop the projections;(k) Any compensation the company will pay to the participant in the event of project underperformance;(l) The disposition of the renewable energy credits;(m) Terms governing the portability or transferability of the project participant's interest in the project, including any potential costs associated with such a transfer; and(n) Any other material terms and conditions of the services the company provides.(9)Annual notice to project participants. At least once each year, a community solar company must directly advise each of its project participants how to obtain: (a) A copy of the information, forms, and disclosures described in this section;(b) The participant's current production projection information;(c) The current total value of the participant's share of the project;(d) A copy of the commission's community solar rules under this chapter; and(e) A copy of the company's current rates, terms, and conditions for the project.(10)Copies to the commission. The community solar company must provide the commission with current copies of all of the company's disclosure forms, pamphlets, brochures, and bill inserts prior to delivering such materials to customers, project participants, or applicants.(11)Unique materials. A community solar company may not use the name, bills, marketing materials, or consumer education materials of another community solar company.Wash. Admin. Code § 480-103-100
Adopted by WSR 18-20-098, Filed 10/2/2018, effective 11/2/2018