[DOCID: f:sr224.110]
From the Senate Reports Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
Calendar No. 475
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-224
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TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES TO INSTALL A
PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM FOR HEADQUARTERS BUILDINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY
_______
November 7, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
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 Environment and Public Works, to which 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, reports favorably thereon without
amendment, and recommends that the bill do pass.
BACKGROUND
The photovoltaic system called for in this legislation is
known as the Solar Net. It was the winning design produced by a
competition sponsored 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. The DoE competition included submissions
from 151 teams.
The competition required that a minimum of 100 kilowatts be
generated by the design. The winning design will produce
460,000 kWh.
The winning design 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 exterior
planes and interior spaces. The clean energy produced by the
wall is channeled back into the building in the form of
electricity, hot water, and convected heat.
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.
The sun wall will be the largest solar installation in a
Federal building.
SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION
H.R. 798 directs the Administrator of General Services to
install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of
the Department of Energy, as set forth in the Sun Wall Design
Project. The Department of Energy Building is located at 1000
Independence Avenue, Southwest, Washington D.C., which is
commonly known as the Forrestal Building. Funding for the
photovoltaic system would be authorized from the Federal
Buildings Fund.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
For purposes of rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the
Senate, H.R. 798 does not contain any congressionally directed
spending.
HEARINGS
There have been no hearings on H.R. 798 by the Committee.
ROLLCALL VOTES
There were no rollcall votes during the consideration of
H.R. 798 by the Committee.
MANDATES ASSESSMENT
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that this bill would
impose no Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State,
local or tribal governments. All of its governmental directives
are imposed on Federal agencies. The bill does not directly
impose any private sector mandates.
EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT
Section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the
Senate requires publication in the report the committee's
estimate of the regulatory impact made by the bill as reported.
No regulatory impact is expected by the passage of the bill.
The bill will not affect the personal privacy of individuals.
COST OF LEGISLATION
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing
this project would cost $6 million in 2008 and $30 million over
the 2008-2012 period. The Congressional Budget office also
estimates 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. The estimate of the Congressional Budget Office is
attached.
H.R. 798--An act 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, 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 implementing 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.
On February 12, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for
H.R. 798 as ordered reported by the House Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure on February 7, 2007. The
versions of the legislation are identical, as are the CBO cost
estimates.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no
changes to existing law.
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