[House Report 110-11]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 110-11
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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.