News for October 16, 2001

Californians take a shine to sun power

Blueprint for Green Homes -Building with recycled materials and energy-saving designs is on the rise.

Solar Project Financing Available for Government Entities

SunEmpower for the Rooftops of America (Pacific Solar -Au)

Governor Davis Signs Energy Legislation 2001.10.13

IN BRIEF

California Legislation - Solar Bills Signed into Law!!!

Senate Bill 82xx requires the state Department of General Services to ensure that solar energy equipment is installed on all existing state buildings and parking facilities, with requirements for inclusion in new projects, as well. The bill also establishes PV as an energy efficiency improvement and be eligible for Small Business Fund financing.

Assembly Bill 1207 encourages local governments to either adopt an ordinance that would permit small wind energy systems, or to approve wind systems that meet certain minimum criteria until July 1, 2005.

Senate Bill 17xx - creates a solar tax credit, which is retroactive to January 1st 2001. The tax credit, for tax years 2001-2003, is equal to the lesser of 15 percent of the net purchase cost or $4.50 per rated watt of a photovoltaic or wind-driven system with a generating capacity of not more than 200 kilowatts. The Bill allows a credit for one System per each separate legal parcel of property or per each address of the taxpayer in California, and requires recapture of the credit if the system is sold or removed from California within one year. The credit will be reduced to half that amount for tax years 2004-2005, and will sunset on January 1, 2006. Qualifying systems would need to be certified by the Energy Commission, installed with a five-year warranty, and would be required to be in service in California for at least one year. This bill complements other programs that provide incentives for installing renewable systems.

Senate Bill 48xx - Creates the Solar Training, Education and Certification Act of 2001 which is a three prong program that fills in gaps of existing state programs designed to encourage the use of solar energy systems. The bill has 3 compononets: 1) Allowing the California Energy Commission (CEC) to adopt specifications for the major electrical components in the absence of certification by a certified testing laboratory. 2) Authorizing local governments to develop a program to encourage the construction of buildings that use solar thermal and photovoltaic systems that are certified by nationally recognized certification agencies or the CEC. 3) Requiring the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to administer a solar training and oversight program.

[Ed. Note: Additional information will be available on these bills at california solar center legislation page in the coming weeks]

Revised volumes of the Guidebooks for the California Energy Commission's Renewable Energy Program are available online on the
Renewable Energy documents page. The changes to the Guidebook for the Renewable Energy Program, Volume 3, Emerging Renewable Resources Account (section for PV rebates) are summarized as follows:
1) Increasing the total funding by $16.2 million. Consistent with the Public Utilities code Section 383.5, subdivision (d), this additional funding shall be allocated asfollows: 60 percent for small systems 10 kilowatt (kW) or smaller; 15 percent for medium systems greater than 10 kW but less than 100 kW; and 25 percent for large systems 100 kW or larger. In absolute dollar amounts, $9.72 million will go to small systems, $2.43 million to medium systems, and $4.05 million to large systems.
2) Allocating 75 percent of the funding for medium-sized systems to those that are greater than 10 kW but less than 30 kW in size (75 percent of the 15 percent that goes to medium sized systems).
3) Adding language to ensure that those who apply for funding from the Emerging Renewables Buydown Program and/or to the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self Generation program do not receive combined funding from both programs totaling more than $4.50 per watt or 50 percent of total system cost, whichever is less.

Sunny Hour: A Happy Hour to Support the Proposition B Solar Bond Campaign Please join us for a drink, an update on the campaign and a screening of humorous, independent short films presented by Atom Films. $10 donation at the door WHEN: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday October 24, 2001 WHERE: 330 RITCH Bar and Club at 330 Ritch Street, San Francisco (Townsend near 3rd Street, one block from Pac Bell Park)

Solar Cooking Contest - October 20th Aqua Caliente, San Diego County

World Bank adopts PV-GAP quality standard for Photovoltaic Systems - The Bank Group has been one of the leaders in financing photovoltaic (PV) projects in developing countries. Ensuring PV product quality has been important in efforts at establishing sustainable PV projects and programs. The World Bank has adopted the PV-GAP program for testing and certifying PV components and systems. PV-GAP is a not-for-profit organization, registered in Switzerland, that certifies the quality of PV systems and components.