Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Renewable HVAC Energy And Technology for Schools Act” or the “Renewable HEAT for Schools Act”.
Renewable HVAC Energy And Technology for Schools Act
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Energy to make grants to local educational agencies for purposes of supporting renewable energy-based heating and cooling systems in schools.
Sec. 2 Renewable energy heating and cooling systems grant program
Establishment— The Secretary of Energy shall, from funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (g), make grants to local educational agencies for purposes of encouraging schools to use heating and cooling systems that use renewable energy.
Application— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary, in a time and manner to be prescribed by the Secretary, that identifies proposed projects such grant would be used to fund.
Selection— In selecting grant recipients, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants whose applications—
propose projects that address the needs of schools with heating or cooling systems in need of immediate replacement; and
propose an effective plan for the evaluation, measurement, and verification of energy savings.
Use of funds— Funds made available by a grant made under this section may be used by a recipient only to—
install a heating or cooling system that uses renewable energy in an elementary school or secondary school; or
maintain and repair such a system installed using funds from a grant made under this section.
Cost-Sharing— A local educational agency that receives a grant under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources, not less than 50 percent of the funds for the total cost of each project funded by such grant. The non-Federal share may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions.
Definitions— In this section:
Elementary school— The term elementary school has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
Geothermal heat pump— The term geothermal heat pump means a system that provides heating and cooling by exchanging heat directly or indirectly with the ground using—
a closed loop system, which transfers heat by way of buried or immersed pipes that contain a mix of water and working fluid;
an open loop system, which circulates ground or surface water directly into the building and returns the water to the same aquifer or surface water source; or
a food grade plate heat exchanger to transfer heat between a municipal or private potable water supply system and a closed interior loop employing heat pumps, in which the potable water utilized could be returned to the municipal or private supply system after passing through the heat exchanger.
Local educational agency— The term local educational agency has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
Renewable energy— The term renewable energy means energy generated from—
a renewable energy resource, as defined in section 403(2) of the Renewable Energy Resources Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 7372(2));
geothermal resources, including a geothermal heat pump; or
any other source the Secretary determines appropriate for purposes of this section.
Secondary school— The term secondary school has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.
Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 for purposes of carrying out this section.