
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC5501]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                        CHAPTER 71--SOLAR ENERGY
 
                    SUBCHAPTER I--HEATING AND COOLING
 
Sec. 5501. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

    (a) The Congress hereby finds that--
        (1) the current imbalance between supply and demand for fuels 
    and energy is likely to persist for some time;
        (2) the early demonstration of the feasibility of using solar 
    energy for the heating and cooling of buildings could help to 
    relieve the demand upon present fuel and energy supplies;
        (3) the technologies for solar heating are close to the point of 
    commercial application in the United States;
        (4) the technologies for combined solar heating and cooling 
    still require research, development, testing and demonstration, but 
    no insoluble technical problem is now foreseen in achieving 
    commercial use of such technologies;
        (5) the early development and export of viable solar heating 
    equipment and combined solar heating and cooling equipment, 
    consistent with the established preeminence of the United States in 
    the field of high technology products, can make a valuable 
    contribution to our balance of trade;
        (6) the widespread use of solar energy in place of conventional 
    methods for the heating and cooling of buildings would have a 
    significantly beneficial effect upon the environment;
        (7) the mass production and use of solar heating and cooling 
    equipment will help to eliminate the dependence of the United States 
    upon foreign energy sources and promote the national defense;
        (8) the widespread introduction of low-cost solar energy will be 
    beneficial to consumers in a period of rapidly rising fuel cost;
        (9) innovation and creativity in the development of solar 
    heating and combined solar heating and cooling components and 
    systems can be fostered through encouraging direct contact between 
    the manufacturers of such systems and the architects, engineers, 
    developers, contractors, and other persons interested in installing 
    such systems in buildings;
        (10) evaluation of the performance and reliability of solar 
    heating and combined solar heating and cooling technologies can be 
    expedited by testing under carefully controlled conditions; and
        (11) commercial application of solar heating and combined solar 
    heating and cooling technologies can be expedited by early 
    commercial demonstration under practical conditions.

    (b) It is therefore declared to be the policy of the United States 
and the purpose of this subchapter to provide for the demonstration 
within a three-year period of the practical use of solar heating 
technology, and to provide for the development and demonstration within 
a five-year period of the practical use of combined heating and cooling 
technology.

(Pub. L. 93-409, Sec. 2, Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1069.)


                      Short Title of 1978 Amendment

    Pub. L. 95-590, Sec. 1, Nov. 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 2513, provided: 
``That this Act [enacting subchapter III of this chapter] may be cited 
as the `Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and 
Demonstration Act of 1978'.''


                               Short Title

    Section 1 of Pub. L. 93-409 provided: ``That this Act [enacting this 
subchapter and amending section 2473 of this title] may be cited as the 
`Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974'.''
    Pub. L. 93-473, Sec. 1, Oct. 26, 1974, 88 Stat. 1431, provided: 
``That this Act [enacting subchapter II of this chapter] may be cited as 
the `Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 
1974'.''


                            Cross References

    Federal buildings, demonstration of solar heating and cooling, see 
section 8241 et seq. of this title.
    Photovoltaic solar electric systems, Federal utilization, see 
section 8271 et seq. of this title.
