AB 415, as amended, Garcia. Solar energy: water heating.
The Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to establish eligibility criteria for solar water heating systems receiving gas customer funded incentives under the act. The act requires the criteria to include eligibility requirements for residential solar water heating systems or solar collectors used in systems for multifamily residential, commercial, government, nonprofit, educational, or industrial water heating systems, as specified.
This bill would revise those eligibility requirements to require the solar water heating systems or solar collectors be certified by accredited listing agencies in accordance withbegin delete specified
standards,end deletebegin insert standards adopted by the commission,end insert and would specify that the commission may adopt consensus solar standards applicable to products or systems as developed by accredited standards developers.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 2864 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
(a) The commission, in consultation with the Energy
4Commission and interested members of the public, shall establish
5eligibility criteria for solar water heating systems receiving gas
6customer funded incentives pursuant to this article. The criteria
7should specify and include all of the following:
8(1) Design, installation, and energy output or displacement
9standards. To be eligible for rebate funding, a residential solar
10water heating system shall be certified by an accredited listing
11agency in accordance withbegin delete SRCC Standard 300 or with an begin insert
standards adopted by the
12equivalent American National Standard.end delete
13commission.end insert Solar collectors used in systems for multifamily
14residential, commercial, government, nonprofit, educational, or
15industrial water heating shall be certified by an accredited listing
16agency in accordance withbegin delete SRCC Standard 100, SRCC Standard begin insert standards adopted by the commission.end insert Energy output
17150, SRCC Standard 600, or with ISO 9806, ASHRAE 93, or
18equivalent.end delete
19of collectors and systems shall be determined in accordance with
20procedures set forth by the listing agency, and shall be based on
21testing results from accredited testing laboratories.
22(2) Require that solar water heating
system components are new
23and unused, and have not previously been placed in service in any
24other location or for any other application.
25(3) Require that solar water heating collectors have a warranty
26of not less than 10 years to protect against defects and undue
27degradation.
28(4) Require that solar water heating systems are in buildings or
29facilities connected to a natural gas utility’s distribution system
30within the state.
31(5) Require that solar water heating systems have meters or
32other kWhth measuring devices in place to monitor and measure
33the system’s performance and the quantity of energy generated or
34displaced by the system. The criteria shall require meters for
35systems with a capacity for displacing
over 30 kWth. The criteria
P3 1may require meters for systems with a capacity of 30 kWth or
2smaller.
3(6) Require that solar water heating systems are installed in
4conformity with the manufacturer’s specifications and all
5applicable codes and standards.
6(b) Gas customer funded incentives shall not be made for a solar
7water heating system that does not meet the eligibility criteria.
8(c) The commission may adopt consensus solar standards
9applicable to products or systems as developed by accredited
10standards developers.
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