An Act To Provide Affordable Installation of Alternative Energy . Systems
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1095
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: BECK, HOBBINS, BERRY, FLAHERTY, BOWMAN
Amends: 35-A MRSA §3211-C, 35-A MRSA §3211

. FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. l095 
H.P.757 
House of Representatives; March 19, 2009 
An Act To Provide Affordable Installation of Alternative Energy 
. Systems 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BECK of Waterville. 
Cosponsored by Senator HOBBINS of York and 
7Y/~ 
1n.11l1LC~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, FLAHERTY of Scarborough, 'rRINWARD of 
Waterville, Senator: BOWMAN of York. 
. 
Printed (In recyckd paper 
/' 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§l, ~A-3 is enacted to read: 
A-3. "Eligible solar rebate applicant" means an owner or' tenant of residential or 
commercial property in this State who li.asa qualified solar energy system installed 
on the property or a person who performs the installation of a qualified solar energy 
. system for an owner or tenant of residential or commercial property in this State. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§l, ~A-4 is enacted to read: 
A-4. "Eligible wind rebate applicant" means' an owner or tenant of residential or 
commercial property in this State who has a qualified wind energy system installed 
on the property. 
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§2; as amended by PL 2007, c. 661, Pt. D, §1, 
is further amended to read: 
2. Solar and wind energy rebate program. To the extent that funds are available 
in the fund established in subsection 3 and the requirements of this subsection and . 
subsection 2-A are satisfied, anovmer or tenant of residential or commercial property 
located in the State an eligible solar rebate applicant is entitled to a rebate for a qualified 
solar energy system that is installed in accordance with tins ,subsection after July 1, 2005 
that will be connected to the electrical grid er and an eligible wind rebate applicant is 
entitled to a rebate for a qualified wind energy system that is installed in accordance with 
this subsection after January 1, 2009 that will be connected to the electrical grid~ . There 
may be only one applicant per qualified solar energy system or qualified wind energy 
system installed. 
The commission shall set rebate levels for qualified' solar energy 
systems and qualified wind energy systems. In setting rebate levels, the commission may 
consider market demand for qualified solar energy systems and qualified wind energy 
systems, program implementation experience and other factors relevant to the solar 
energy and wind energy rebate program.. 
A. To qualify for a rebate,a solar'photovoltaic system must meet the following 
installation requirements: 
(1) For a system installed after JulY'I, 2005 but before January 1, 2007, the 
system must be installed by a master electrician who has completed a training 
course to prepare for certification by a North American board of certified energy 
practitioners or by a master electrician working in conjunction with either a 
person who has been certified by a North American board of certified energy 
practitioners or a person who has completed a training course to prepare for 
certification ~y a North American b.oard of certified energy practitioners; or 
(2) For a system installed on or after January 1, 2007, the system must be 
installed by a master electrician who has been certified by a North American 
board of certified energy practitioners or by a master electrician working in 
conjunction with a person who has been certified by a NorthAmerican board of 
certified energy practitioners. 
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B. To qualify for a rebate, a solar thennal system designed to heat water must be 
installed by a qualified solat thennal water system installer and, if the solar thennal 
system is designed to heat potable water, it must be installed by a qualified solar 
thern1al water system installer wI10 holds a current license as a master plumber or by 
a qualified solar thennal water system installer working in conjunction with a master 
plumber. 
. 
D. To qualify for a rebate, the electrical components of a qualified wind energy 
system must be installed by a master electrician or by a factory trained. and approved 
dealer. for the qualified wind energy system working under the supervision of a 
master electrician. 
In the case ofa newly constructed residence, the rebate must be available to the original 
owner or occupant or the person who perfonns the installation for the original owner or 
tenant. 
Sec. 4. 35-A MRS A §3211-C, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 158, §2, is 
amended to read: 
. 
2-A. Energy audit requirement; solar photovoItaic system. To qualify for a 
rebate for a sol'ar photovoltaic system under this section, an oVlller or tenant of residential 
or commercial property located in' the State eligible solar rebate applicant must 
demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commission that an energy audit, as defined by the 
commission_by rule, has been completed. 
. Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §3211 .. C, sub-§2-B is enacted to read: 
2-:8. Pass:..through requirement for solar rebates paid to installers. When an 
installer applies for a rebate for a qualified solar energy system, the installer shall pass 
through 100% of the rebate received for that qualified solar energy system to the owner 
or tenant for whom the installer installed the qualified solar energy system. For the 
purposes of this subsection, "installer" means a person who perfonns the installation of a 
qualified so'lar energy system for an owner or tenant of residential or commercial 
property in this State. 
. 
SUMMARY 
Under current law governing the solar and wind energy rebate program; an owner or 
tenant of residential or commercial property may receive a rebate for a qualified solar 
energy system that is installed on the property. This bill amends the law to provide that 
the installer of a qualified solar energy system or the owner or tenant of the property on 
which the qualified solar energy system is installed may receive the rebate. 
If the 
installer receives the rebate, the installer is required to pass through 100% of the rebate to 
the property owner or tenant. 
rage 2 .. 124LR0985(OI) .. 1