The definitions set forth in this section govern the construction of this article:

(a) “Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.

(b) “Energy independence” means the utilization of existing and developing technologies to meet energy needs onsite, including, but not necessarily limited to, the utilization of solar, fuel cells, and other renewable and clean onsite energy sources, the optimization of the use of daylighting, the use of passive solar orientation, and the use of construction techniques that minimize energy loss, such as appropriate insulation and lighting fixtures.

(c) “Energy management plans” means the plans that community colleges develop with guidance from the Statewide Energy Management Program to implement energy efficiency projects such as sustainable green buildings, renovations, and wind or solar farms that will move the community colleges toward energy independence.

(d) “Program” means the Statewide Energy Management Program, established under this article, which is a state program modeled after the Federal Energy Management Program.

(e) “Renewable or other distributed energy systems” means alternative efficient sources of energy such as daylighting, photovoltaic panels (rooftops or solar farms), passive solar heating, fuel cells, and steam. Diesel-fueled electric generating systems are not included in this definition.

(f) “Sustainable green building” means a building that has been designed to reduce both direct and indirect environmental consequences associated with construction, occupancy, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning, and whose design is evaluated for cost, quality of life, future flexibility, ease of maintenance, energy and resource efficiency, and overall environmental impact, with an emphasis on life-cycle cost analysis.

(Added by Stats. 2001, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 8, Sec. 2. Effective April 12, 2001.)