CS for SB 1380 First Engrossed
20091380e1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to energy; amending s. 377.705, F.S.;
3 requiring the Solar Energy Center to charge testing
4 fees; directing the Florida Building Commission to
5 make all changes to the building and energy codes
6 necessary to conform to this act; providing that if a
7 specified commissioner of the Florida Energy and
8 Climate Commission is not confirmed during the 2009
9 Regular Session or the 2010 Regular Session, the
10 commissioner’s appointment shall be extended until May
11 1, 2010, except for any member who, during that time,
12 the Senate expressly refuses to confirm; requiring the
13 Florida Energy and Climate Commission to obtain the
14 approval of the joint Legislative Budget Commission
15 before spending or disbursing any funds received from
16 the federal government as part of a federal stimulus
17 package; providing an effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Section 377.705, Florida Statutes, is amended to
22 read:
23 377.705 Solar Energy Center; development of solar energy
24 standards.—
25 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section act shall be known and may be
26 cited as the “Solar Energy Standards Act” of 1976.
27 (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
28 (a) Because of increases in the cost of conventional fuel,
29 certain applications of solar energy are becoming competitive,
30 particularly when life-cycle costs are considered. It is the
31 intent of the Legislature in formulating a sound and balanced
32 energy policy for the state to encourage the development of an
33 alternative energy capability in the form of incident solar
34 energy.
35 (b) Toward this purpose, the Legislature intends to provide
36 incentives for the production and sale of, and to set standards
37 for, solar energy systems. Such standards must shall ensure that
38 solar energy systems manufactured or sold within the state are
39 effective and represent a high level of quality of materials,
40 workmanship, and design.
41 (3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
42 (a) “Center” means is defined as the Florida Solar Energy
43 Center of the Board of Governors.
44 (b) “Solar energy systems” means is defined as equipment
45 that which provides for the collection and use of incident solar
46 energy for water heating, space heating or cooling, or other
47 applications that which normally require or would require a
48 conventional source of energy such as petroleum products,
49 natural gas, or electricity, and that which performs primarily
50 with solar energy. In such other systems in which solar energy
51 is used in a supplemental way, only those components that which
52 collect and transfer solar energy are shall be included in this
53 definition.
54 (4) FLORIDA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER TO SET STANDARDS, REQUIRE
55 DISCLOSURE, SET TESTING FEES.—
56 (a) The center shall develop and promulgate standards for
57 solar energy systems manufactured or sold in this state based on
58 the best currently available information and shall consult with
59 scientists, engineers, or persons in research centers who are
60 engaged in the construction of, experimentation with, and
61 research of solar energy systems to properly identify the most
62 reliable designs and types of solar energy systems.
63 (b) The center shall select nationally-recognized standards
64 for solar energy systems and establish criteria for testing the
65 performance of solar energy systems and shall maintain the
66 necessary capability for testing or evaluating the performance
67 of solar energy systems. The center may accept results of tests
68 on solar energy systems made by other organizations, companies,
69 or persons when such tests are conducted according to the
70 criteria established by the center and when the testing entity
71 has no vested interest in the manufacture, distribution or sale
72 of solar energy systems.
73 (5)(c) FEES.-The center shall charge be entitled to receive
74 a testing fee sufficient to cover the costs of such testing. All
75 testing fees shall be transmitted by the center to the Chief
76 Financial Officer to be deposited in the Solar Energy Center
77 Testing Trust Fund, which is hereby created in the State
78 Treasury, and disbursed for the payment of expenses incurred in
79 testing solar energy systems.
80 (6)(d) All solar energy systems manufactured or sold in the
81 state must meet the nationally-recognized standards selected
82 established by the center and shall display accepted results of
83 approved performance tests in a manner prescribed by the center.
84 Section 2. The Florida Building Commission is directed to
85 make all changes to the building and energy codes necessary to
86 conform those rules to this bill.
87 Section 3. The term of any person sitting as a member of
88 the Florida Energy and Climate Commission on March 3, 2009,
89 whose appointment is not confirmed by the Senate during the 2009
90 Regular Session or the 2010 Regular Session, shall be extended
91 until completion of the 2010 Regular Session, except for any
92 member who, during that time, the Senate expressly refuses to
93 confirm.
94 Section 4. The Florida Energy and Climate Commission must
95 obtain the approval of the joint Legislative Budget Commission
96 before spending or disbursing any funds received from the
97 federal government as part of a federal stimulus package.
98 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.