[House Report 110-11]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





110th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     110-11

======================================================================



 
   PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HEADQUARTERS BUILDING

                                _______
                                

 February 12, 2007.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Oberstar, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 798]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 798) to direct the Administrator of 
General Services to install a photovoltaic system for the 
headquarters building of the Department of Energy, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    H.R. 798 authorizes the Administrator of General Services 
to install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building 
of the Department of Energy and directs the General Services 
Administration to use $30 million of unobligated balances from 
the Federal Buildings Fund to carry out the project.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 798 is a bill to authorize the Administrator of 
General Services to install a photovoltaic system for the 
Department of Energy headquarters building.
    Photovoltaic systems convert light energy into electricity. 
The term ``photo'' is derived from the Greek ``phos'' which 
means light and ``volt'' is named for Alessandro Volta, a 
pioneer in the study of electricity. Most commonly known as 
simply ``solar cells'' photovoltaic power can be found in such 
common items as small calculators and wrist watches.
    The photovoltaic system to be installed is called the Solar 
Net, which was the winning design produced by a competition 
sponsored in 1999 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in cooperation with The 
American Institute of Architects, and the Architectural 
Engineering Institute. Solar energy systems integrated into or 
onto buildings is the fastest-growing segment of the solar 
energy market. The DOE competition included submissions from 
151 teams.
    The goal of the competition was to select a winning sun 
wall design that would transform the south wall of the DOE 
headquarters building in Washington, D.C., from an unappealing 
concrete mass with little value into an elegant architectural 
facade that would harness the sun's vast energy and provide a 
source of clean energy for the building. Aesthetics was one of 
the most important features of the competition. The design had 
to be pleasing to the eye and in harmony with the architecture 
of the Forrestal Building and the surrounding area. The 
competition required that a minimum of 100 kilowatts be 
generated by the design. The winning design will produce 
460,000 kWh, which is the equivalent of 1,684 hair dryers 
operating for 30 minutes every day for a year, or 6,850 compact 
fluorescent light bulbs operating eight hours every night for a 
year.
    The winning design is rich in detail, using not only solar 
electric and photovoltaic cells but also solar thermal 
technology where water is heated in a solar thermal array, 
which is very efficient. The sun wall is 300 feet long and 130 
feet high. It incorporates 24,750 square feet of power 
generating panels. This innovative design uses solar skin to 
create both sweeping exterior planes and soaring interior 
spaces which will energize the south facade of the DOE 
building. The clean energy produced by the wall is seamlessly 
channeled back into the building in the form of electricity, 
hot water, and convected heat.
    The Solar Net is a clean technology with its skin created 
by an array of modular solar thermal and photovoltaic collector 
panels. The collector surfaces are organized in a pattern of 
solids and voids which allows light to transmit through to the 
interior. From mid fall to early spring, when the sun is low in 
the sky, thermal collectors in the upper part of the wall use 
incident solar radiation to generate hot water for use in the 
building heating systems. This solar water heating system is 
arranged to optimize the opportunity to provide the highest 
energy gains during the fall and spring. The overall efficiency 
of the solar collection array is improved by making use of 
convected heat from the back of the collector surface. The 
photovoltaic electricity panels occupy the middle portion of 
the sun wall and are positioned to optimize annual solar 
production.
    The steel structure itself is a series of curved primary 
cable trusses spanning between the vertical concrete wall and 
the reconfigured ground plane. Steel brackets will serve as 
mastheads for the trusses.
    H.R. 798 will enable the Department of Energy to lead the 
way by example. The sun wall will be the largest solar 
installation in a federal building, and will be an 
international landmark for the city of Washington. It will 
demonstrate the Nation's commitment to clean energy 
technologies while at the same time being environmentally 
sensitive.

                       SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Installation of photovoltaic system at Department of Energy 
        Headquarters Building

    Section 1(a) directs the Administrator of General Services 
to install a photovoltaic system, set forth in the sun wall 
design project, for the headquarters of the Department of 
Energy.
    Section 1(b) requires the General Services Administration 
to make available $30 million from the Federal Building Fund to 
complete the project. The funds may be derived from unobligated 
balances from prior years and may not come from funds made 
available for the agency's energy program.

            LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    In the 107th Congress, then Ranking Member Oberstar 
introduced H.R. 2407, the Federal Photovoltaic Utilization Act. 
On August 1, 2001, the Subcommittee held a legislative hearing 
on H.R. 2407. No further action was taken on the bill.
    In the 108th Congress, then Ranking Member Oberstar and 
then Ranking Subcommittee Member Norton introduced an amendment 
to H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2003, which authorized the 
General Services Administration to establish a program for the 
procurement and installation of photovoltaic solar energy 
systems for electricity production in new and existing public 
buildings and authorized $263 million for each fiscal year from 
2004 to 2008. The amendment was incorporated into the final 
Conference Report, which became P.L. 108-375.
    In the 109th Congress, then Ranking Member Oberstar 
included a provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 
109-58) which authorized the Administrator of General Services 
to install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building 
of the Department of Energy. While the Act authorized funding 
for FY 2006, no funds were appropriated for the project. On May 
25, 2006, then Ranking Member Oberstar introduced H.R. 5510, 
which authorized funding for the project in FY 2007. No further 
action was taken on the bill.
    On February 6, 2007 the Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management met in 
open session and considered H.R. 798. The Subcommittee 
recommended the bill favorably to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure by voice vote.
    On February 7, 2007 the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee met in open session and ordered the bill H.R. 798 
reported to the House by voice vote.

                              RECORD VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives 
requires each committee report to include the total number of 
votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to 
report and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter, 
and the names of those members voting for and against. There 
were no recorded votes taken in connection with ordering H.R. 
798 reported. A motion to order H.R. 798 reported favorably to 
the House was agreed to by voice vote.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(I) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in this report.

                          COST OF LEGISLATION

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and 
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                 Washington, DC, February 12, 2007.
Hon. James. L. Oberstar,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 798, a bill to 
direct the Administrator of the General Services to install a 
photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of the 
Department of Energy.
    If you wish further details on these estimates, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                           Peter R. Orzsag,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 798--A bill to direct the Administrator of General Services to 
        install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of 
        the Department of Energy

    H.R. 798 would require the General Services Administration 
to install a solar energy (photovoltaic) system on the side of 
the headquarters building of the Department of Energy (DOE) 
located in Washington, DC. Photovoltaic systems use solar power 
technology to convert energy from the sun into electricity. The 
project would consist of a ``sun wall'' of almost 25,000 solar 
panels that would provide some electricity and hot water to the 
building. The legislation would direct the use of $30 million 
in unobligated balances in the Federal Buildings Fund beginning 
in fiscal year 2008 to install the system.
    Currently, the Federal Buildings Fund has unobligated 
balances of over $2 billion available for construction and 
repair and alteration of federal buildings. Legislation that 
modifies the expected spending pattern of those balances would 
be considered a change in direct spending but would not 
increase budget authority. Based on information from DOE, CBO 
estimates that spending for this project would cost $6 million 
in 2008 and $30 million over the 2008-2012 period. However, we 
also estimate that this project would not affect net federal 
outlays over the 2008-2012 period because spending on this 
project would be offset by decreased spending later in that 
period.
    H.R. 798 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew 
Pickford. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee 
references the report of the Congressional Budget Office 
included in the report.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
performance goals and objective of this legislation are to 
install a photovoltaic system at the headquarters of the 
Department of Energy.
    3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Committee has received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 798 
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

                     COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

    Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, H.R. 798 contains the following 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI 
of the Rules of the House of Representatives:
    1. $30 million to install a photovoltaic system for the 
headquarters building of the Department of Energy, at 1000 
Independence Avenue, Southwest, Washington, DC, requested by 
Chairman James L. Oberstar (MN-08) and Chairwoman Eleanor 
Holmes Norton (DC) and co-sponsored by Ranking Member John L. 
Mica (FL-07).

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or 
joint resolution of a public character shall include a 
statement citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in 
the Constitution to enact the measure. The Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure finds that Congress has the 
authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted 
under article I, section 8 of the Constitution.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act (Public Law 104-4).

                        PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the 
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, 
or tribal law. The Committee states that H.R. 798 does not 
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this 
legislation.

                APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    H.R. 798 makes no changes in existing law.

                                  
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