24 C.F.R. § 200.950
§ 200.950 Building product standards and certification program for solar water heating system. (24 CFR Part 200)
Operative Text
(a) Applicable standards. (1) All solar water heating systems shall be designed, manufactured, and tested in compliance with Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) Document OG-300-93, Operating Guidelines and Minimum Standards for Certifying Solar Water Heating Systems: An Optional SWH System Certification and Rating Program. Section 10 of the SRCC standard has been omitted because it was considered proprietary, since it describes an administrative program specifically carried out by SRCC. (2) This standard has been approved by the Director of the Federal Register for incorporation by reference. The standard is available from the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation, 777 North Capitol Street, NE., suite 805, Washington, DC 20002. This standard is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (b) Labeling. Under the procedures set forth in § 200.935(d)(6) concerning labeling of a product, the administrator's validation mark and the manufacturer's certification of compliance with the applicable standards are required to be on the certification label issued by the administrator to the manufacturer. Each solar water heating system shall be marked as conforming to UM 100. The label shall include the manufacturer's name and plant location. (c) Periodic tests and quality assurance inspection. Under the procedure set forth in § 200.935(d)(8), testing and inspection shall be conducted as follows: (1) The Administrator shall visit the manufacturer's factory every two years to assure that the initially accepted quality assurance procedures are being followed. (2) At least every four years, the administrator shall visit the manufacturer's facility to select a sample of each certified solar water heating system for testing by a laboratory approved by the administrator. (d) Warranty. The manufacturer shall provide, at no cost, a full five-year warranty against defects in material or workmanship, on the absorber plate, cooling passages, and the collector (excluding any glass), running from the date of installation of the solar water heating system. The warranty also shall include the full costs of field inspection, parts, and labor required to remedy the defects, and will include the cost of replacement at the site if required. This warranty is not required to cover defects resulting from exposure to harmful materials, fire, flood, lightning, hurricane, tornado, hailstorms, earthquakes, or other acts of God, vandalism, explosions, harmful chemicals or other fluids, fumes or vapors. This exclusion will apply to the operation of the collector under excessive pressures or excessive flow rates, misuse, abuse, negligence, accidents, alterations, falling objects or other causes beyond the control of the manufacturer. Following the initial five years, the manufacturer shall provide a limited no-cost five-year warranty for collector parts on a prorata allowance basis.
Section 200.950 establishes federal building product standards for solar water heating systems used in HUD-related programs. Systems must be designed, manufactured, and tested in accordance with the SRCC OG-300-93 standard, carry a specific certification label that includes the manufacturer's name and plant location, and conform to UM 100 marking requirements. The rule also mandates a full five-year warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship on key components—including absorber plates, cooling passages, and collectors—followed by a limited prorated five-year warranty on collector parts, with certain exclusions for events outside the manufacturer's control. Ongoing compliance is enforced through factory inspections and laboratory testing conducted on a periodic schedule.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers who install or specify solar water heating systems under HUD-covered programs should be aware that § 200.950 requires those systems to carry valid SRCC OG-300-93 certification and the appropriate UM 100 conformance label before installation. A compliant operator generally verifies that the certification label includes the administrator's validation mark, the manufacturer's certification of compliance, and the manufacturer's name and plant location. Operators also typically retain documentation of the manufacturer's five-year full warranty and the subsequent five-year prorated parts warranty, as these are federally required components of the product—not optional add-ons.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in HUD-related housing with solar water heating systems have an interest in knowing that § 200.950 requires those systems to meet federal certification and warranty standards. If a system component such as the absorber plate, cooling passages, or collector fails due to a defect in materials or workmanship within five years of installation, the manufacturer is required to cover full repair or replacement costs at no charge, including parts, labor, and field inspection. Tenants who believe a system in their unit does not meet these standards may raise the issue with their housing provider, contact a local HUD field office, or reach out to a tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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