Motion by CCSE

On February 28, 2008, CCSE filed a motion in R.06-03-004, the predecessor docket to this rulemaking, requesting modification of the pilot program implementation plan, as approved in the February 2007 ruling.⁶ The pilot, as initially approved, offered rebates to customers of SDG&E who install solar water heating systems to offset energy used by an existing natural gas or electric water heater or boiler. CCSE now requests the ability to offer solar water heating incentives to all new construction, not just systems that replace existing water heaters. In the alternative, CCSE requests that it be allowed to offer incentives to survivors of the 2007 San Diego wildfires who are essentially replacing existing natural gas or electric water heaters or boilers. There were no comments on the motion.

We will allow CCSE to modify its program to allow solar water heating incentives to all new construction. However, CCSE must separately monitor and account for this portion of the program, and modify its evaluation plan to track performance data for these systems separately from systems that replace existing water heaters. The systems costs and energy savings for new construction may differ from the costs and savings for existing systems. We will want to review separate data on the system costs and energy savings achieved for solar water heating systems in new construction versus systems that replace older, and likely less efficient water heaters.

⁶ In R.08-03-008, the Commission transferred the record of R.06-03-004 to this docket.