As used in the Improvement Special Assessment Act:

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A. “capital provider” means a private entity or its designee, successor or assigns that finances or refinances an eligible improvement pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

B. “county” means a county, including an H class county;

C. “county ordinance” means an ordinance adopted by a county pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act to establish a program within a designated region;

D. “department” means the economic development department;

E. “eligible improvement” means a permanently affixed energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy improvement, water conservation improvement or resiliency improvement installed on eligible property as part of the construction or renovation of the property;

F. “eligible property” means any privately owned commercial, industrial, agricultural or multifamily residential real property with five or more dwelling units, including real property owned by an entity formally recognized as tax exempt pursuant to Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

G. “energy efficiency improvement” means measures, equipment or devices that result in a decrease in consumption of or demand for electricity or natural gas;

H. “local government” means a municipality, county or other general function governmental unit established by state law;

I. “municipal” or “municipality” means any incorporated city, town or village, whether incorporated under general act, special act or special charter, incorporated counties and H class counties;

J. “program” means a special assessment program that utilizes and conforms to the program guidebook and uniform special assessment documents established by the department pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

K. “program administrator” means a person designated by a county to administer a program; “program administrator” may be the department, the county or a third party; provided that the administration procedures used conform to the requirements of the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

L. “program guidebook” means a comprehensive document created by the department pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act, including uniform assessment documents, appropriate guidelines, specifications, approval criteria and other standard forms consistent with the administration of a program that are not detailed in the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

M. “project application” means an application submitted to a program administrator to demonstrate that a proposed project qualifies for special assessment financing pursuant to a program;

N. “region” means a geographical area as designated by a county pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

O. “renewable energy improvement” means an energy system that generates energy by use of low- or zero-emissions generation technology with substantial long- term production, including solar, wind and geothermal resources, fuel cell equipment using an electrochemical process to generate electricity and heat or biomass resources;

P. “resiliency improvement” means improvements that increase the resilience of a property, including air quality, flood mitigation, storm water management, energy storage and microgrids, alternative vehicle charging infrastructure, fire or wind resistance or inundation adaptation;

Q. “special assessment” means a voluntary assessment imposed on a property pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act for the total amount of special assessment financing together with interest, penalties, fees and charges related thereto;

R. “special assessment agreement” means a voluntary agreement of a property owner to allow a county to place an assessment on the owner’s property to repay special assessment financing pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act;

S. “special assessment assignable certificate” means a document assigning a special assessment lien from the county to a capital provider in an amount not to exceed the amount of the special assessment financing for the term of the special assessment lien;

T. “special assessment financing” means the total amount of financing provided by a capital provider pursuant to a special assessment financing agreement, including accrual of interest and penalties, charges, fees and costs of enforcement of a special assessment lien;

U. “special assessment financing agreement” means a contract pursuant to which a property owner agrees to repay a capital provider for special assessment financing and to the terms of the special assessment financing, including the treatment of prepayment and partial payment of a special assessment, servicing arrangements, the payment of any finance charges and fees and accrual of interest and penalties;

V. “special assessment lien” means a lien recorded in all counties in which the eligible property is located to secure the special assessment, which assessment remains on the property until paid in full;

W. “uniform assessment documents” means the forms of county ordinance, special assessment agreement, special assessment lien, special assessment assignable certificate and other model documents prepared by the department pursuant to the Improvement Special Assessment Act for use in the program; provided, however, the department shall not mandate a form of special financing agreement that shall be supplied by a capital provider; and

X. “water conservation improvement” means measures, equipment or devices that decrease the consumption of or demand for water, address safe drinking water or eliminate lead from water used for drinking or cooking.