1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to state government; establishing a heating and cooling policy for 1.3building projects funded with state appropriations; proposing coding for new law 1.4in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 16B.1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:1.6    Section 1. [16B.326] HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS; STATE-FUNDED 1.7BUILDINGS.1.8    The commissioner must review and study geothermal and solar thermal applications 1.9as possible uses for heating or cooling for all building projects subject to a predesign 1.10review under section 16B.335 that receive any state funding for replacement of heating or 1.11cooling systems. When practicable, geothermal and solar thermal heating and cooling 1.12systems must be considered when designing, planning, or letting bids for necessary 1.13replacement or initial installation of cooling or heating systems in new or existing 1.14buildings that are constructed or maintained with state funds. The predesign review must 1.15include a written plan for compliance with this section from a project proposer.1.16    For the purposes of this section, "solar thermal" means a flat plate or evacuated tube 1.17with a fixed orientation that collects the sun's radiant energy and transfers it to a storage 1.18medium for distribution as energy for heating and cooling.1.19EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2007, and applies to cooling 1.20or heating systems replacement or installation in buildings that are constructed or 1.21maintained with state funds that are subject to predesign review on or after that date.