The commissioner must review project proposer's study for geothermal and solar thermal applications as possible uses for heating or cooling for all building projects subject to a predesign review under section 16B.335 that receive any state funding for replacement of heating or cooling systems. When practicable, geothermal and solar thermal heating and cooling systems must be considered when designing, planning, or letting bids for necessary replacement or initial installation of cooling or heating systems in new or existing buildings that are constructed or maintained with state funds. The predesign review must include a written plan for compliance with this section from a project proposer.
For the purposes of this section, "solar thermal" means a flat plate or evacuated tube with a fixed orientation that collects the sun's radiant energy and transfers it to a storage medium for distribution as energy for heating and cooling.
History: 2007 c 77 s 1; 2008 c 277 art 1 s 1