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An Act Regarding Installation of Solar Energy Systems under the Solar and Wind Energy Rebate Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§2, ¶A,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 29, §1, is further amended to read:
 
A. To qualify for a rebate, a solar photovoltaic system must meet the following installation requirements:
 
(1) For a system installed after July 1, 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 by a North American board 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 North American board of certified energy practitioners; or by the owner or tenant of the residential or commercial property, in which case the installation must have been inspected and approved by the local municipal electrical inspector.
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §3211-C, sub-§2, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 493, §3, is further amended to read:
 
B. To qualify for a rebate, a solar thermal system designed to heat water must be installed by a qualified solar thermal water system installer and, ifor by the owner or tenant of the residential or commercial property, in which case the installation must have been inspected and approved by the local municipal plumbing inspector. To qualify for a rebate if the solar thermal system is designed to heat potable water, it must be installed by aand the system is installed by a qualified thermal water system installer, the qualified solar thermal water system installer who holdsmust hold a current license as a master plumber or by a qualified solar thermal water system installermust be working in conjunction with a master plumber.
 
SUMMARY
Under current law governing the solar and wind energy rebate program, to qualify for a rebate a solar photovoltaic 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 North American board of certified energy practitioners, and a solar thermal system designed to heat water must be installed by a qualified solar thermal water system installer. This bill amends the law to allow for a rebate when the owner or tenant of a residential or commercial property performs the installation of a solar photovoltaic system or a solar thermal system designed to heat water, as long as the installation has been inspected and approved by the municipal electrical inspector, in the case of solar photovoltaic systems, or the municipal plumbing inspector in the case of solar thermal systems designed to heat water.