(a)
The commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission and interested members of the public, shall establish eligibility criteria for solar water heating systems receiving gas customer funded incentives pursuant to this article. The criteria should specify and include all of the following:
(1)
Design,
installation, and energy output or displacement standards. To be eligible for rebate funding, a residential solar water heating system shall be certified by an accredited listing agency in accordance with standards adopted by the commission. Solar collectors used in systems for multifamily residential, commercial, government, nonprofit, educational, or industrial water heating shall be certified by an accredited listing agency in accordance with standards adopted by the commission. Energy output of collectors and systems shall be determined in accordance with procedures set forth by the listing agency, and shall be based on testing results from accredited testing laboratories.
(2)
Require that solar water heating system components are new and unused, and have not previously been placed in service in any other location or for any other application.
(3)
Require that solar water
heating collectors have a warranty of not less than 10 years to protect against defects and undue degradation.
(4)
Require that solar water heating systems are in buildings or facilities connected to a natural gas utility’s distribution system within the state.
(5)
Require that solar water heating systems have meters or other kWhth measuring devices in place to monitor and measure the system’s performance and the quantity of energy generated or displaced by the system. The criteria shall require meters for systems with a capacity for displacing over 30 kWth. The criteria may require meters for systems with a capacity of 30 kWth or smaller.
(6)
Require that solar water heating systems are installed in conformity with the manufacturer’s specifications and all applicable codes and
standards.
(b)
Gas customer funded incentives shall not be made for a solar water heating system that does not meet the eligibility criteria.
(c)
The commission may adopt consensus solar standards applicable to products or systems as developed by accredited standards developers.