The New Energy Standards Are Here

Appear in: California Builder, May/June 2001

The California Energy Commission (CEC) wasn't scheduled to adopt new building standards until 2004. However, responding to public outcry over high electricity costs in San Diego last summer, the Legislature passed AB 970 at the very end of its 2000 session. Signed into law on September 6, 2000, AB 970 was enacted to provide expedited power plant sittings, fund peak load conservation programs, and to adopt and implement updated “maximum feasible” building energy efficiency standards. The CEC was mandated to perform fast-track (120 days) regulatory proceedings to update the standards (T-24).

The new energy code could add between $300 and $1,800 per new home in the state, but that cost is considerably less than initial proposals due to the diligence of the CBIA and its Energy Committee. CBIA worked with the CEC staff to develop a reasonable response to the requirements of AB 970. The CEC held five full-day workshops to outline the Commission's plans to adopt the maximum feasible reduction in energy consumption. Through CBIA's efforts, the Commission substantially narrowed the original list of 14 energy efficiency modifications to four items, keeping housing costs from escalating. CBIA was especially effective in seeking a delay in the effective date from February, as initially proposed, to June, and the Association also secured a grandfather clause exempting master plans already in the pipeline.

The new standards affect permits applied for on or after June 1, 2001, except for homes covered by approved master plans (housing qualifying by using the multiple orientation approach for permits), which are exempted through December 31, 2001. These regulations affect homes whose permits are applied for after December 31, 2001 (assuming the master plan exemption).

The builder's decision as to when to implement these regulations (or submit for permits) is dependent upon how close the subdivision is to completion. If the builder is starting a subdivision and will not substantially complete by the end of 2001, then the builder should seriously consider adopting these standards when the models are being built.

Increased stringency

This new code will increase the stringency of the California energy standards by a state average of 12 percent, varying from 5 percent in Climate Zone 1 (North Coast) to 23 percent in Climate Zone 15 (High Desert). The standards are focused at reducing peak load (summer cooling) and thus are most stringent in areas with cooling loads (Climate Zones 2, 4, 8-15, which includes Sacramento and the Central Valley and all of inland Southern California and San Diego).

Four amendments will be added to the CEC's Residential Energy Efficiency Standards. Note that about half the state's climate zones (2, 8-15) will require all four items in the prescriptive package. The four measures, which were previously options for builders, will now be included in Title 24's basic prescriptive packages for all 16 climate zones, but are not mandatory when using the performance approach. They make compliance with the performance approach more difficult and the builders can choose other energy saving options to compensate. But the CEC estimates that these items will enable homebuilders to downsize air conditioners, which should offset some of the cost of the new features.

The Energy Commission has determined that the four energy features that it has incorporated into the code are cost effective. They are:

tight ducts with third party testing
spectrally selective glass
thermostatic expansion valves (TXV) with third party testing, and
radiant barriers

The tight HVAC duct provisions will require leakage to be less than 6 percent of nominal airflow and require that HVAC installers certify 100 percent of their installations and fill out and sign the CF-6R. A third-party rater who is independent of the builder or installer must do verification.

The improved windows with spectrally selective glass have lower U-values and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.40 or less.

A TXV is a device that is installed in the indoor A/C coil to enable an air conditioner to adjust to changing loads and to compensate somewhat for installation problems, such as incorrect refrigerant charge or low airflow. The TXV must have an inspection port for field verification.

Radiant barriers, which reflect heat from the sun in attic spaces, must be certified by the California Department of Consumer Affairs to have an emittance of 0.05 or less; they are usually foil, laminated on the underside of roof decking.

Products should be available

A major concern about these new standards is product availability, however spectrally selective gals is available from all major glass manufacturers. Cardinal Glass, which recently built a plant in Galt, near Sacramento, is able to make 6 million square feet of glass a month. This translates into enough glass for nearly 200,000 homes a year. And this is only one plant and only one manufacturer. Gref Myers, a Cardinal sales representative, noted that glass manufacturers can easily ramp up to make spectrally selective glass, “it's simply a different flavor to produce.”

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, a major manufacturer of radiant barrier, can produce 315 million square feet of radiant barrier annually when running at capacity. David Drew, regional sales manager for LP, translated that into house numbers.

“Assuming 2,500 square feet are needed for an average house, our facilities alone can produce enough product for around 126,000 homes per year,” he said.

Though there may be some short term supply problems if there are sudden increased demands for their products, the manufacturing capability exists and the possibility of a critical shortage is small. However, even the possibility of a short-term shortage should be enough incentive for builders to start searching out various price options and availability now.

Field verification

Certain features in the new standards require third-party field verification. California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System (CHEERS) raters are currently the only raters authorized by the CEC to do verifications. The rater will need to verify installation of sealed ducts (duct blaster test), TXV, ACCA Manual D, ducts in conditioned space, reduced duct surface area, and low air infiltration (blower door test). They test/inspect all models, then they will test/inspect one in seven of a “group” of homes during build-out. A “group” can be any size, but the maximum is the number of homes finished in 180 days.

The choice of “group” for verification is important and should be decided upon by the builder and the rater. The new code states that two failures in a group necessitate testing and repairs, if necessary, of all non-tested homes in that group, even if occupied (unless the homeowners sign a statement that they do not want testing). It will be important for the builder to keep the group small so failures do not present a huge problem. It is probably more prudent to use subcontractors with a history of quality. The rater chooses the homes to be tested at random. Note that the field verification has changed to require 15% inspections of all homes rather than 15% inspection of each model. This will help to simplify the process somewhat.

Availability

Because of the increase in required inspections, builders have expressed concern that the rater pool is too small and the builders' schedules could be delayed. But according to Michelle Thomas, project manager for Southern California Edison, efforts are being made by the utilities in conjunction with CHEERS to increase the supply of raters. As AB 970 training classes are provided throughout the state to building officials, builders, and HVAC contractors, CHEERS will be doing recruitment presentations.

According to CHEERS' Executive Director Tom Hamilton, supply will be covered. “We have a strong group of qualified raters now and, in addition, we have eight training sessions scheduled with 50 raters up and coming,” Hamilton explained. “We have the manpower to get the job done.”

New mandatory requirements

There are two new mandatory requirements, both regarding ducts. Regular duct tape (cloth-backed, rubber-adhesive tape) cannot be used unless it is in conjunction with draw bands or mastic. All tape must be UL181 approved. Mylar, aluminized, and butyl-backed tape is allowed. Also, unducted chases cannot be used for the supply or return of conditioned air. Without a mechanical design, unducted chases may go unnoticed until build-out when the problem of duct space becomes an issue.

Credits

Items for T-24 credit will include tight ducts, ACCA Manual D, TXV, ducts in conditioned space, reduced duct surface area, increased duct R-value, radiant barrier, cool roof, and reduced air infiltration. Tight ducts require leakage less than 6% of nominal airflow. HVAC systems designed by a Professional Engineer (or C-20 for own installation) according to Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Design Manuals J, D, and S will get credit, as will an installation of a TXV with an inspection port.

Ducts in conditioned space with less than 12 lineal feet in unconditioned space get T-24 credit, as do reduced duct area (i.e. central registers) and radiant barriers. Cool roof credit will be given for solar reflectance at 0.40 or higher for tile roofs and 0.70 or higher for other roofs, each requiring a minimum emittance of 0.75. Check-the-box credit can be obtained for house wrap and a larger credit is given for tested low-air infiltration (less than 3.8 Specific Leakage Area (SLA), minimum ventilation requirements: >1.8 SLA or mechanical ventilation). Note that credit for roller shades and other internal shading devices has been removed from the standards.

The horizon

The new residential standards should save 150 megawatts annually across the state, an amount equal to the electricity needed to power about 200,000 homes or a little more than 0.5 percent of the state's total energy consumption. There are 9 million residential units in California constructed before any statewide requirement for energy efficiency. CBIA will be working at the state and national level to expand tax credits, energy efficiency programs and legislation aimed at making these existing housing units more energy efficient.

- Mike Hodgson

Founder and president of Stockton-based ConSol, Mike Hodgson has more than 20 years' experience in energy savings assessment, interpretation of regulations, market analysis, market transformation, and training for the building industry. Hodgson is chairman of CBIA's Energy Committee and a member of the Energy Subcommittee of the National Association of Home Builders.

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