Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 690
       
       
       
       By Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       21-00424A-12                                           2012690__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to solar energy systems; amending s.
    3         377.705, F.S.; removing the requirement that the
    4         Florida Solar Energy Center set standards for and
    5         approve solar energy systems; requiring that a solar
    6         energy system manufactured, sold, or installed in the
    7         state meet the safety and performance standards
    8         established by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10  
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Section 377.705, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   14  read:
   15         377.705 Solar Energy Center; development of solar energy
   16  standards.—
   17         (1) SHORT TITLE.—This act shall be known and may be cited
   18  as the “Solar Energy Standards Act.” of 1976.
   19         (2) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
   20         (a) Because of increases in the cost of conventional fuel,
   21  certain applications of solar energy are becoming competitive,
   22  particularly when life-cycle costs are considered. It is the
   23  intent of the Legislature in formulating a sound and balanced
   24  energy policy for the state to encourage the development of an
   25  alternative energy capability in the form of incident solar
   26  energy.
   27         (b) Toward this purpose, the Legislature intends to provide
   28  incentives for the production and sale of, and to set standards
   29  for, solar energy systems. Such standards shall ensure that
   30  solar energy systems manufactured or sold within the state are
   31  effective and represent a high level of quality of materials,
   32  workmanship, and design.
   33         (3) DEFINITIONS.—
   34         (a) “Center” is defined as the Florida Solar Energy Center
   35  of the Board of Governors.
   36         (b) “Solar energy systems” is defined as equipment that
   37  which provides for the collection and use of incident solar
   38  energy for water heating, space heating or cooling, or other
   39  applications that which normally require or would require a
   40  conventional source of energy such as petroleum products,
   41  natural gas, or electricity and that perform which performs
   42  primarily with solar energy. In such other systems in which
   43  solar energy is used in a supplemental way, only those
   44  components that which collect and transfer solar energy are
   45  shall be included in this definition.
   46         (4) FLORIDA SOLAR ENERGY CENTER TO SET STANDARDS, REQUIRE
   47  DISCLOSURE, SET TESTING FEES.—A solar energy system
   48  manufactured, sold, or installed in this state must meet only
   49  the safety and performance standards established by Underwriters
   50  Laboratories, Inc.
   51         (a) The center shall develop and promulgate standards for
   52  solar energy systems manufactured or sold in this state based on
   53  the best currently available information and shall consult with
   54  scientists, engineers, or persons in research centers who are
   55  engaged in the construction of, experimentation with, and
   56  research of solar energy systems to properly identify the most
   57  reliable designs and types of solar energy systems.
   58         (b) The center shall establish criteria for testing
   59  performance of solar energy systems and shall maintain the
   60  necessary capability for testing or evaluating performance of
   61  solar energy systems. The center may accept results of tests on
   62  solar energy systems made by other organizations, companies, or
   63  persons when such tests are conducted according to the criteria
   64  established by the center and when the testing entity has no
   65  vested interest in the manufacture, distribution or sale of
   66  solar energy systems.
   67         (c) The center shall be entitled to receive a testing fee
   68  sufficient to cover the costs of such testing. All testing fees
   69  shall be transmitted by the center to the Chief Financial
   70  Officer to be deposited in the Solar Energy Center Testing Trust
   71  Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury, and
   72  disbursed for the payment of expenses incurred in testing solar
   73  energy systems.
   74         (d) All solar energy systems manufactured or sold in the
   75  state must meet the standards established by the center and
   76  shall display accepted results of approved performance tests in
   77  a manner prescribed by the center.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.