BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1328
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
SB 1328 (Lowenthal) - As Amended: June 16, 2010
SENATE VOTE : 27-0
SUBJECT : Greenhouse gas emissions: motor vehicle cabin
temperature
SUMMARY : Requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to
consider certain factors when adopting or amending regulations
that reduce motor vehicle cabin temperature to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions (GHGs).
EXISTING LAW :
Establishes the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32
(Nunez), Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006), which requires ARB to
adopt a statewide GHG emissions limit equivalent to 1990 levels
by 2020 and to adopt rules and regulations to achieve maximum
technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG emission
reductions.
THIS BILL requires ARB to consider the following while adopting
or amending regulations to reduce motor vehicle cabin
temperature in order to reduce GHG emissions:
a) Reducing air-conditioning use when motor vehicles
are either parked or moving.
b) Identify potential conflicts between, and
relative benefits of, vehicle temperature requirements and
the technologies that provide reductions in GHG emissions.
c) Flexibility to achieve the maximum possible motor
vehicle GHG emissions reduction.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, this bill has
negligible state costs.
COMMENTS :
SB 1328
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The transportation sector in California represents the largest
contributor to overall GHG emissions throughout the state (Figs.
1 and 2). According to ARB, in 1990, total statewide GHG
emissions were approximately 427 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), with transportation representing
35%, or approximately 149.5 MMTCO2e, of GHG emissions (Figure
1). In 2004, total statewide GHG emissions were approximately
484 MMTCO2e, with transportation representing 38%, or
approximately 183.9 MMTCO2e, of GHG emissions (Figure 2). ARB
is required to adopt a statewide GHG emissions limit equivalent
to 1990 levels by 2020, which in the transportation sector
represents a proportional reduction of 34.4 MMTCO2e.
Figure 1. 1990 GHGs by sector. GHG emissions totaled 427
MMTCO2e net emissions as reported by ARB. The transportation
sector is responsible for approximately a third of the overall
emissions which represents the largest individual emitting
sector.
Figure 2. 2004 GHGs by sector. GHG emissions totaled 484
MMTCO2e net emissions as reported by ARB, which is an increase
of 57 MMTCO2e possibly due to economic growth between 1990 and
2004. The transportation sector remains the largest individual
GHG emitting contributor with 38% of the total.
The use of air conditioners in motor vehicles directly increases
fuel consumption, therefore regulations that reduce air
conditioner use by lowering heat gain in a motor vehicle,
especially when parked, could potentially reduce GHG emissions
in the transportation sector.
In June 2009, ARB adopted the Cool Cars Regulation (Regulation)
which proposed to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the interior
temperature of parked vehicles which would reduce the need for
air conditioner use. The rationale was that if the need for air
conditioning was reduced, car air conditioners would be used
less frequently or car manufacturers would install smaller air
conditioning units; the result of their action would be a
reduction in fuel burned to power air conditioning and therefore
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fewer GHG emissions. The Regulation would apply to light-duty
and medium-duty vehicles less than or equal to 10,000 lbs. gross
vehicle weight (GVW). One component of the Regulation was
utilizing glass coatings for car windshields and windows to
reduce the total solar energy transmittance (TTS) into the car,
usually while parked (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Solar energy interacting with a glass layer.
The Regulation would apply to 2012 model vehicles since car
manufacturers order glass for car windows in advance. Beginning
with 2012 model vehicles, the Regulation includes a 50 TTS level
for windshields, a 60 TTS level for side and back windows, and a
30 TTS level for sunroof glass. Beginning with 2016 model
vehicles, a more stringent 40 TTS level requirement was
prescribed for all vehicle windows except for sunroof glass
which remained at 30 TTS. The lower the TTS value, the more
solar energy is being reflected from the window glass away from
the vehicle. Vehicle manufacturers could also opt for other
methods of reducing air conditioning use if they did not want to
comply with glass TTS standards. According to ARB, these levels
of energy transmittance were based on the available glass
coating technologies at the time, as well as a study
investigating the effects of glass coatings on electronic
devices, including cell phones and global positioning systems
(GPS) that rely on successful wireless electronic communication
outside of the vehicle. ARB estimated that when the Regulation
was fully implemented it would result in GHG emission reductions
over 1 MMTCO2e.
In November 2006, ARB conducted a study investigating the
effects of vehicle window glass coatings on the performance of
GPS monitoring units and cell phones in order to address some
concerns from law enforcement organizations regarding the
interference of the glass coatings with the proper functioning
of GPS ankle monitoring bracelets. The study was conducted in
the Los Angeles metropolitan area. At this time, the most
common and most widely used available glass coating technologies
that achieved the desired TTS levels were metallic coatings. A
number of vehicles in Europe and in the U.S. have these window
glass coatings in place. The metallic glass coatings were known
to attenuate electromagnetic waves that are integral to the
proper functioning of cell phones and GPS devices, so the
Regulation also allowed for up to 10% of the total vehicle
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window area to have no coating (deletion zone) so that the
coating would not interfere with these devices. The study
examined the performance of cell phones, GPS navigation systems,
and GPS ankle devices in moving vehicles with no glass coatings,
coating on the windshield only, and in vehicles with 100% of the
windows coated. The devices were tested in urban and suburban
areas, and on highways. GPS units were also evaluated on how
quickly they could establish a satellite connection. The study
showed that GPS ankle monitoring devices lost their satellite
connection for time periods of 2 to 5 minutes regardless of the
level of glass coating. GPS ankle monitoring devices have
backup cellular devices. These cellular backup devices were
able to work regardless of the level of glass coating on the
windows. GPS navigation system performance was negatively
affected by the glass coating, however the performance was
significantly improved by creating a deletion zone in the
coating. Cell phone performance was not affected by any level
of glass coating, however the study does explain that it was
conducted within a metropolitan area where cell phone reception
is generally strong.
In March 2010, ARB announced that it was discontinuing the
Regulation:
On March 25, 2010 ARB announced that all
rulemaking on the Cool Cars regulation has ceased.
It was determined that insufficient time remained
on the rulemaking calendar to achieve consensus on
the rule, particularly with regard to perceived
problems with metallic glazing and the operation
of cell phones and GPS ankle bracelets. Because
consensus could not be reached within the
timeframe required, the 15-day Notice for Cool
Cars will not be issued. The result is that the
Cool Cars regulation, while approved by the Board
in June 2009, will not become law.
In its place staff will work to incorporate a
performance-based approach to cooling vehicle
interiors into the next iteration of the
light-duty motor vehicle greenhouse gas
regulations for 2017 and later model years. This
next phase of the motor vehicle greenhouse gas
emission regulations will be linked with the
formerly separate standards setting specific toxic
SB 1328
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and criteria tailpipe emissions limits (Low
Emission Vehicle or LEV standards) into a single
regulatory framework for advanced clean cars. The
regulation for the advanced clean cars (also known
as LEVIII) is expected [to] be presented to the
Board during a hearing later this year, with the
new greenhouse gas portion phasing-in with the
2017 model year. At this time, it is unclear what
form the performance-based approach to cooling
vehicle interiors will take in the new rules. As
a result, all activity by the Cool Cars
performance option workgroups will cease.
Instead, the public may participate in the
development of the performance metric for cooling
vehicle interiors as part of the regulatory
development for advanced clean cars.
When ARB resumes its vehicle cabin temperature rulemaking,
several glass-coating technologies will be available. Non-metal
polycarbonate glass coatings have been shown to decrease window
TTS levels while not requiring deletion zones to reduce
interference with GPS devices. ARB may wish to explore these
technologies as it resumes development of vehicle regulations.
In addition, ARB may wish to explore other incentive program
options for vehicle customers such as rebates for cars with
reflective paints or coatings.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Exatec
TransCore
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Jessica Westbrook / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092