[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2774 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 190
110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2774

                          [Report No. 110-303]

  To support the research, development, and commercial application of 
           solar energy technologies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 2007

 Ms. Giffords introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on Science and Technology

                             August 3, 2007

 Additional sponsors: Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson of Texas, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. 
Cohen, Mr. Costa, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Donnelly, 
     Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Honda, Mr. 
 Abercrombie, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Lampson, and Mr. Smith of 
                                 Texas

                             August 3, 2007

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To support the research, development, and commercial application of 
           solar energy technologies, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Solar Energy Research and 
Advancement Act of 2007''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    For purposes of this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The term ``Department'' means the Department 
        of Energy.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Energy.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
program of research and development to provide lower cost and more 
viable thermal energy storage technologies to enable the shifting of 
electric power loads on demand and extend the operating time of 
concentrating solar power electric generating plants.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, 
$9,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and 
$12,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER COMMERCIAL APPLICATION 
              STUDIES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Integration.--The Secretary shall conduct a study on 
methods to integrate concentrating solar power into regional 
electricity transmission systems, and to identify new transmission or 
transmission upgrades needed to bring electricity from high 
concentrating solar power resource areas to growing electric power load 
centers throughout the United States. The study shall analyze and 
assess approaches for management and integration of concentrating solar 
power into regional electric transmission grids to improve electric 
reliability, to efficiently manage load, and to reduce demand on the 
natural gas transmission system for electric power. The Secretary shall 
submit a report to Congress on the results of this study not later than 
12 months after the date of enactment of this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Water Consumption.--Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall 
transmit to Congress a report on the results of a study on methods to 
reduce the amount of water consumed by concentrating solar power 
systems.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Solar Energy Research and 
Advancement Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) The term ``Department'' means the Department of Energy.
            (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.

SEC. 3. THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program of 
research and development to provide lower cost and more viable thermal 
energy storage technologies to enable the shifting of electric power 
loads on demand and extend the operating time of concentrating solar 
power electric generating plants.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $5,000,000 
for fiscal year 2008, $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $9,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2010, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and $12,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2012.

SEC. 4. CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER COMMERCIAL APPLICATION STUDIES.

    (a) Integration.--The Secretary shall conduct a study on methods to 
integrate concentrating solar power into regional electricity 
transmission systems, and to identify new transmission or transmission 
upgrades needed to bring electricity from high concentrating solar 
power resource areas to growing electric power load centers throughout 
the United States. The study shall analyze and assess cost-effective 
approaches for management and large-scale integration of concentrating 
solar power into regional electric transmission grids to improve 
electric reliability, to efficiently manage load, and to reduce demand 
on the natural gas transmission system for electric power. The 
Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the results of this 
study not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (b) Water Consumption.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall transmit to 
Congress a report on the results of a study on methods to reduce the 
amount of water consumed by concentrating solar power systems.

SEC. 5. SOLAR ENERGY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATION GRANTS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the Office of 
Solar Energy Technologies a competitive grant program to create and 
strengthen solar industry workforce training and internship programs in 
installation, operation, and maintenance of solar energy products. The 
goal of this program is to ensure a supply of well-trained individuals 
to support the expansion of the solar energy industry.
    (b) Authorized Activities.--Grant funds may be used to support the 
following activities:
            (1) Creation and development of a solar energy curriculum 
        appropriate for the local educational, entrepreneurial, and 
        environmental conditions, including curriculum for community 
        colleges.
            (2) Support of certification programs, such as the North 
        American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, for 
        individual solar energy system installers, instructors, and 
        training programs.
            (3) Internship programs that provide hands-on participation 
        by students in commercial applications.
            (4) Activities required to obtain certification of training 
        programs and facilities by the Institute of Sustainable Power 
        or an equivalent industry-accepted quality-control 
        certification program.
            (5) Incorporation of solar-specific learning modules into 
        traditional occupational training and internship programs for 
        construction-related trades.
            (6) The purchase of equipment necessary to carry out 
        activities under this section.
            (7) Support of programs that provide guidance and updates 
        to solar energy curriculum instructors.
    (c) Administration of Grants.--Grants may be awarded under this 
section for up to 3 years. The Secretary shall award grants to ensure 
sufficient geographic distribution of training programs nationally. 
Grants shall only be awarded for programs certified by the Institute of 
Sustainable Power or an equivalent industry-accepted quality-control 
certification institution, or for new and growing programs with a 
credible path to certification. Due consideration shall be given to 
women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities.
    (d) Report.--The Secretary shall make public, via the website of 
the Department or upon request, information on the name and institution 
for all grants awarded under this section, including a brief 
description of the project as well as the grant award amount.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $10,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 6. DAYLIGHTING SYSTEMS AND DIRECT SOLAR LIGHT PIPE TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program of 
research and development to provide assistance in the demonstration and 
commercial application of direct solar renewable energy sources to 
provide alternatives to traditional power generation for lighting and 
illumination, including light pipe technology, and to promote greater 
energy conservation and improved efficiency. All direct solar renewable 
energy devices supported under this program shall have the capability 
to provide measurable data on the amount of kilowatt-hours saved over 
the traditionally powered light sources they have replaced.
    (b) Reporting.--The Secretary shall transmit to Congress an annual 
report assessing the measurable data derived from each project in the 
direct solar renewable energy sources program and the energy savings 
resulting from its use.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``direct solar renewable energy'' means energy 
        from a device that converts sunlight into useable light within 
        a building, tunnel, or other enclosed structure, replacing 
        artificial light generated by a light fixture and doing so 
        without the conversion of the sunlight into another form of 
        energy; and
            (2) the term ``light pipe'' means a device designed to 
        transport visible solar radiation from its collection point to 
        the interior of a building while excluding interior heat gain 
        in the nonheating season.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $3,500,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 7. SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a research, 
development, and demonstration program to promote less costly and more 
reliable decentralized distributed solar-powered air conditioning for 
individuals and businesses.
    (b) Authorized Activities.--Grants made available under this 
section may be used to support the following activities:
            (1) Advancing solar thermal collectors, including 
        concentrating solar thermal and electric systems, flat plate 
        and evacuated tube collector performance.
            (2) Achieving technical and economic integration of solar-
        powered distributed air-conditioning systems with existing hot 
        water and storage systems for residential applications.
            (3) Designing and demonstrating mass manufacturing 
        capability to reduce costs of modular standardized solar-
        powered distributed air conditioning systems and components.
            (4) Improving the efficiency of solar-powered distributed 
        air-conditioning to increase the effectiveness of solar-powered 
        absorption chillers, solar-driven compressors and condensors, 
        and cost-effective precooling approaches.
            (5) Researching and comparing performance of solar-powered 
        distributed air conditioning systems in different regions of 
        the country, including potential integration with other onsite 
        systems, such as solar, biogas, geothermal heat pumps, and 
        propane assist or combined propane fuel cells, with a goal to 
        develop site-specific energy production and management systems 
        that ease fuel and peak utility loading.
    (c) Cost Sharing.--The non-Federal share of research and 
development projects supported under this section shall be not less 
than 20 percent, and for demonstration projects shall be not less than 
50 percent.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $2,500,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.

SEC. 8. PHOTOVOLTAIC DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program of grants 
to States to demonstrate advanced photovoltaic technology.
    (b) Requirements.--
            (1) Ability to meet requirements.--To receive funding under 
        the program under this section, a State must submit a proposal 
        that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that 
        the State will meet the requirements of subsection (f).
            (2) Compliance with requirements.--If a State has received 
        funding under this section for the preceding year, the State 
        must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that it 
        complied with the requirements of subsection (f) in carrying 
        out the program during that preceding year, and that it will do 
        so in the future, before it can receive further funding under 
        this section.
            (3) Funding allocation.--Each State submitting a qualifying 
        proposal shall receive funding under the program based on the 
        proportion of United States population in the State according 
        to the 2000 census. In each fiscal year, the portion of funds 
        attributable under this paragraph to States that have not 
        submitted qualifying proposals in the time and manner specified 
        by the Secretary shall be distributed pro rata to the States 
        that have submitted qualifying proposals in the specified time 
        and manner.
    (c) Competition.--If more than $25,000,000 is available for the 
program under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
allocate 75 percent of the total amount of funds available according to 
subsection (b)(3), and shall award the remaining 25 percent on a 
competitive basis to the States with the proposals the Secretary 
considers most likely to encourage the widespread adoption of 
photovoltaic technologies.
    (d) Proposals.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and in each subsequent fiscal year for the life of the 
program, the Secretary shall solicit proposals from the States to 
participate in the program under this section.
    (e) Competitive Criteria.--In awarding funds in a competitive 
allocation under subsection (c), the Secretary shall consider--
            (1) the likelihood of a proposal to encourage the 
        demonstration of, or lower the costs of, advanced photovoltaic 
        technologies; and
            (2) the extent to which a proposal is likely to--
                    (A) maximize the amount of photovoltaics 
                demonstrated;
                    (B) maximize the proportion of non-Federal cost 
                share; and
                    (C) limit State administrative costs.
    (f) State Program.--A program operated by a State with funding 
under this section shall provide competitive awards for the 
demonstration of advanced photo-voltaic technologies. Each State 
program shall--
            (1) require a contribution of at least 60 percent per award 
        from non-Federal sources, which may include any combination of 
        State, local, and private funds, except that at least 10 
        percent of the funding must be supplied by the State;
            (2) endeavor to fund recipients in the commercial, 
        industrial, institutional, governmental, and residential 
        sectors;
            (3) limit State administrative costs to no more than 10 
        percent of the grant;
            (4) report annually to the Secretary on--
                    (A) the amount of funds disbursed;
                    (B) the amount of photovoltaics purchased; and
                    (C) the results of the monitoring under paragraph 
                (5);
            (5) provide for measurement and verification of the output 
        of a representative sample of the photovoltaics systems 
        demonstrated throughout the average working life of the 
        systems, or at least 20 years; and
            (6) require that applicant buildings must have received an 
        independent energy efficiency audit during the 6-month period 
        preceding the filing of the application.
    (g) Unexpended Funds.--If a State fails to expend any funds 
received under subsection (b) or (c) within 3 years of receipt, such 
remaining funds shall be returned to the Treasury.
    (h) Reports.--The Secretary shall report to Congress 5 years after 
funds are first distributed to the States under this section--
            (1) the amount of photovoltaics demonstrated;
            (2) the number of projects undertaken;
            (3) the administrative costs of the program;
            (4) the amount of funds that each State has not received 
        because of a failure to submit a qualifying proposal, as 
        described in subsection (b)(3);
            (5) the results of the monitoring under subsection (f)(5); 
        and
            (6) the total amount of funds distributed, including a 
        breakdown by State.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for the purposes of carrying out this 
section--
            (1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
            (2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
            (3) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
            (4) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
            (5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 190

110th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 2774

                          [Report No. 110-303]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To support the research, development, and commercial application of 
           solar energy technologies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             August 3, 2007

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed