Solar energy systems/schools

AN ACT Relating to requiring the installation of solar energy 1
systems on new school buildings; adding new sections to chapter 2
28A.525 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and 3
declaring an emergency. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that expanding the 6
use of solar energy is an effective means of reducing greenhouse gas 7
emissions and the state's reliance on the fossil fuels responsible 8
for our rapidly changing climate. The legislature further finds that 9
the use of solar energy to power buildings is generally a cost-10
effective means of reducing energy bills with a return on investment 11
that may equal or exceed the initial cost. The legislature also notes 12
that the state's building code requires solar readiness for many 13
buildings and that the state's energy performance standard, commonly 14
known as the clean buildings act, is transitioning the state toward 15
ever more energy efficient buildings. Considering these benefits and 16
existing state requirements, the legislature intends to create a 17
requirement, subject to sufficient legislative appropriations, that 18
public schools install solar energy systems on new buildings that 19
exceed 50,000 square feet.20
S-0844.1
SENATE BILL 5546
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Orwall, Hasegawa, and Ramos
Read first time 01/28/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5546
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.525 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1)(a) A public school that plans to commence construction of a 3
qualifying school building on or after June 1, 2028, shall notify the 4
office of the superintendent of public instruction prior to the 5
commencement of construction in order to address the feasibility of 6
installing a qualifying solar energy system. 7
(b) A public school that plans to commence construction of a 8
qualifying school building on or after June 1, 2025, but prior to 9
June 1, 2028, may provide notice to the superintendent of public 10
instruction pursuant to subsection (2) of this section for the 11
purpose of seeking a grant award under section 3 of this act.12
(2) The notification required by subsection (1) of this section 13
must be provided within the time frame established by the 14
superintendent of public instruction and must include:15
(a) The estimated cost of permitting, purchasing, and installing 16
a qualifying solar energy system for the planned building; and17
(b) A comparison of the proposed qualifying solar energy system's 18
capacity to the school campus' anticipated electrical energy 19
consumption. In addition to existing electrical energy consumption, 20
the comparison must include the electrical energy consumption from 21
planned capital investments included in the school's 10-year capital 22
plans as well as from anticipated improvements required to comply 23
with the state's energy-related building standards in this chapter.24
(3) To facilitate submission of the project notification required 25
under this section and to assess the public benefit potential of each 26
project, the superintendent of public instruction must:27
(a) Provide technical assistance to public schools for estimating 28
costs and project scope; 29
(b) Perform a cost-benefit analysis for each project that 30
compares the state's investment to the value produced by the project 31
over a period of at least 25 years, including an estimate of whether 32
the project would result in a positive net present value over the 33
period of analysis. 34
(4) For purposes of this section, the following definitions 35
apply: 36
(a) "Commencement of construction" means the date that a building 37
permit is issued under the building code adopted under RCW 19.27.031 38
for construction of the school building. 39
p. 2 SB 5546
(b) "Qualifying school building" means a building owned by a 1
public school that is required to provide solar zones pursuant to the 2
building code adopted under RCW 19.27.031 and is more than 50,000 3
gross square feet. 4
(c) "Qualifying solar energy systems" means photovoltaic panels 5
of a design, capacity, and quantity sufficient to maximize buildings' 6
or sites' solar energy generation potential, but not to exceed school 7
campus' anticipated electrical energy consumption. 8
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.525 9
RCW to read as follows: 10
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must 11
develop a grant program to reimburse public schools for the cost of 12
installing qualifying solar energy systems. 13
(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 14
specific purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall 15
award grants on a reimbursement basis for the actual cost of 16
installing qualifying solar energy systems. The superintendent of 17
public instruction may only award grants for projects that would 18
result in a positive net present value over the period of analysis.19
(3)(a) Public schools that receive notification of a grant award 20
within the timeline established by the superintendent of public 21
instruction, and that commence construction on or after June 1, 2028, 22
must install qualifying solar energy systems prior to building 23
occupancy. 24
(b) Public schools that receive notification of a grant award, 25
and that commence construction prior to June 1, 2028, may install 26
qualifying solar energy systems after building occupancy at the 27
discretion of the superintendent of public instruction.28
(4) Public schools must notify the office of the superintendent 29
of public instruction in accordance with section 2 of this act to be 30
eligible to receive funding. 31
(5) No later than September 30, 2026, and thereafter prior to 32
September 30th of each fiscal biennium, the superintendent of public 33
instruction shall request legislative appropriations in an amount 34
sufficient to fund the estimated cost of eligible grant awards.35
(6) For purposes of this section, "qualifying solar energy 36
systems" has the same meaning as in section 2 of this act.37
p. 3 SB 5546
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate 1
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 2
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 3
effect July 1, 2025.4
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p. 4 SB 5546