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Utility Rates, Grid, and Markets

Minimum import requirement

Minimum import requirement is a rule requiring a site to buy or import a minimum amount of utility power even when it has distributed generation. It can limit the economic value of on-site generation or storage.

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Certificate of occupancy

Certificate of occupancy is local confirmation that a building or space may be occupied for its approved use. It may not equal ready-for-service, because utility energization, commissioning, tenant fit-out, or SLA milestones can remain separate.

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Power quality

Power quality describes whether voltage, frequency, waveform, and disturbances stay within acceptable limits for equipment operation. Poor power quality can affect IT uptime, UPS behavior, cooling equipment, and utility service obligations.

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kVA

Kilovolt-ampere is apparent power, which combines real and reactive power. Equipment such as transformers and UPS systems is often rated in kVA, so users need power factor to translate a kVA rating into usable kW.

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