BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 415
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 415 (Garcia) - As Amended:  April 24, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Utilities and  
          Commerce     Vote:                            14-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY
           
          This bill broadens the test protocol and accredited list of  
          agencies that solar water heating systems or solar collectors  
          can use to be certified in order to quality for customer funded  
          incentives.
          Specifically, this bill: 

          1)Allows ISO 9806 and ASHRAE 93 testing protocols to be used in  
            addition to the testing protocols used by the Solar Rating and  
            Certification Corporation (SRCC) for eligibility.

          2)Allows product certifications issued by the International  
            Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), a  
            certification body accredited by the American National  
            Standards Institute (ANSI), to be used for eligibility.

          3)Authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to  
            adopt standards written by accredited standards developers in  
            place of developing ad-hoc standards for the solar water  
            heating incentives authorized by this program.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable special fund costs.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.    In 2007 when the Governor signed AB 1470  
            (Huffman, Chapter 536, Statutes of 2007) into law, the Solar  
            Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC) was the only solar  
            system certification then in existence. 








                                                                  AB 415
                                                                  Page  2

             
             Now there are several accredited listing agencies that have  
            the ability to review and issue certifications for solar  
            collectors used in systems for multifamily residential,  
            commercial, government, nonprofit, educational, or industrial  
            water heating. 

            This bill is intended to provide an open, competitive market  
            for certification services and avoid any current or potential  
            future monopolies by SRCC.


           2)Background.   In 2010, the PUC authorized the California Solar  
            Initiative (CSI) Thermal program, which pays incentives to  
            solar water heating (SWH) systems that displace gas water  
            heating and electric water heating. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081