Summer 2010

 

Assistance Available for Local Codes Stricter Than Title 24:

Cost-Effectiveness Studies for CA’s 16 Climate Zones, Local EE Ordinance Guidelines & Revised Title 24 Compliance Trainings

Energy Efficiency is the cornerstone of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies. In many areas, building energy use is one of the largest sources of emissions, often only second to transportation. California has been and remains a leader in developing and implementing building energy efficiency standards to regulate emissions. Those standards are one of the primary strategies the state will use to achieve the Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan goal of making all new residential buildings Zero Net Energy by 2020 and new commercial construction by 2030. Local energy efficiency ordinances provide an opportunity to accelerate the impact and evolution of the building energy efficiency standards beyond the state minimum and help local jurisdictions meet their greenhouse gas reduction goals.

If a local jurisdiction passes an ordinance to mandate construction that is more efficient than the minimum Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, it must obtain California Energy Commission (CEC) approval for the ordinance to be legally enforceable. One of the requirements is that the ordinance must be cost-effective. As this analysis can be very expensive to perform, the statewide Codes and Standards Program (C&S), which is implemented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison and Sempra Utilities, has hired a Title 24 expert to prepare an analysis in each California climate zone. The study shows the impact of exceeding the minimum requirements by 15%, as this level is consistent with utility program eligibility requirements, CALGreen Tier 1, and is generally consistent with the popular green building rating systems used throughout the state. The report documents three cost-effective alternatives to meet the ordinance requirements for prototypical residential and nonresidential buildings. The C&S Program is offering the analysis to any interested local government at no cost.

In addition, the C&S Program has developed a document entitled Local Energy Efficiency Ordinance Guidelines to provide high-level assistance to those jurisdictions that are unfamiliar with the process. The document outlines the major considerations and basic steps in the local ordinance development, adoption and approval process, and is also available to any interested local government at no cost.

Simply optimizing compliance with the existing Title 24 Energy Efficiency Building Standards offers tremendous energy savings potential and a greenhouse gas reduction strategy, which can be implemented quickly, cost-effectively, and sustainably. The C&S Program has recently overhauled its Title 24 training offerings to help local jurisdictions effectively enforce the code, which became effective January 1, 2010. To inform the curriculum development, the program conducted a needs assessment during which many plans examiners, building inspectors and energy consultants were interviewed. The new training courses directly respond to the concerns and needs that were voiced during the interviews including preferred learning styles. Training participants will find the new courses move beyond information-based training delivered in a lecture format to action-based training during which participants are provided an opportunity to apply the information presented by code experts. The residential courses for both energy consultants as well as building department staff are complete and training will be offered beginning in July. Courses may be delivered free of charge at a training facility within a local jurisdiction.

Please contact Jill Marver, Sr. Program Manager of PG&E’s Codes and Standards Compliance Improvement Program to obtain a copy of the Energy Efficiency Ordinance Guidelines or Cost Effectiveness Study, or to schedule a training session. If you are not in PG&E’s territory, Jill will connect you with the appropriate person at SCE or Sempra.