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California updates building standards to cut energy use
Changes to Title 24, the statewide energy efficiency building standards that have saved Californians more than $56 billion in electricity and natural gas costs since 1978, went into effect on Oct. 1 with a focus on reducing not only overall energy use, but peak energy use in particular. "Most of the year, California's energy supply is more than adequate," noted Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, California Energy Commission vice chair. "However, on those 10 or so extremely hot days, demand skyrockets because of the increased air conditioning load. Supplying this peak energy is very expensive. The new building standards will help us manage our peak loads." The CEC estimates that the standards will further reduce energy use in the state by 180 megawatts of electricity load and 8.8 million therms of natural gas each year. The Energy Efficiency Building Standards regulate construction of residential and nonresidential buildings. The commission periodically updates the standards to reflect the state’s changing energy needs and to take advantage of advances in energy efficiency research and technology. The latest revisions call for more efficient lighting and make several changes to improve the performance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems for both homes and businesses. "As the price of natural gas increases by as much as 50 percent this winter, energy efficiency is becoming ever more important to consumers as a way to control their heating bills,” said Pfannenstiel. Lighting measures pay off The most extensive changes to the standards involved residential lighting requirements. “Lighting is low-hanging fruit,” explained Erik Page, director of engineering for the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California at Davis. “Making the lighting changes required in the new standards can improve efficiency fourfold. No other system will give you that big a payoff.” The center developed the Residential Lighting Design Guide to help homebuilders understand and meet the new requirements. CEC, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sempra Energy Utilities, Southern California Edison and the EPA Energy Star program all contributed funding to the guide’s development. The guide is available as a free download, or contact Melissa Blevins to buy a hard copy. For non-residential buildings, the interior standards include skylights with daylighting controls in "big box" buildings and lower lighting power limits to encourage use of new efficient lighting technology. “Unconditioned” buildings, such as parking garages and warehouses, must have efficient electric lighting and control regulations. The exterior standards for non-residential buildings provide specific requirements for lighting parking lots, pedestrian areas, building entrances, service stations, ornamental lighting and areas under canopies. Lighting power limits outdoors vary by zone or by ambient lighting levels. Outdoor lighting controls must reduce lighting levels by 50 percent when not in use. For the first time, Title 24 sets standards for indoor and outdoor signage. High-use rooms targeted In residential buildings, the new codes encourage high-efficacy lighting — meaning state-of-the-art fluorescent lighting in most permanent fixtures — and the use of dimmers and occupancy sensors. Page added that some light emitting diode systems now qualify as high-efficacy and that all LED efficacies are improving rapidly. Kitchens, bathrooms and porches are targeted because those areas typically have high loads and long use hours. Contractors and building owners who want to save energy in any state should consider replacing incandescent lamps in those rooms with energy-efficient fixtures such as the one the center developed for kitchens. It uses 26-watt compact fluorescent lamps that are more efficient and brighter than the standard 13-watt CFL. Page also strongly recommends replacing conventional porch lights with fixtures using CFLs and/or occupancy sensors. The center also did a joint study with SMUD in hotel bathrooms that led to the development of a "smart" vanity lighting system that incorporates an occupancy sensor. SMUD estimates the new system will save as much as 50 percent in energy consumption over standard bathroom vanity lighting systems. Other improvements offer savings The new standards did not overlook efficiency gains to be found in building shells and other systems and equipment. Efficient window and roofing technology will help to reduce electricity demand on hot summer days when air conditioning loads can cause the state's power needs to nearly double. Tighter windows with improved glazings will be required when remodeling or altering existing residential buildings. Contractors must install "cool roofs" – highly reflective, insulated roofing – when building new nonresidential buildings or replacing existing roofing. CEC notes that currently, nine out of 10 rooftops in California reach summer peak temperatures of 150 degrees to 190 degrees. That heat often raises the indoor temperature and causes air conditioning equipment to work longer and harder. A cool roof can reduce those temperatures by as much as 50 degrees, which translates to a 20-percent reduction in air conditioning costs. Whenever new heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment is installed, the standards require ductwork to be inspected and sealed to correct the inevitable large leaks in existing ducts. These measures help to reduce the use of both electricity and natural gas and help control energy bills. Utilities provide program support The tighter regulations have the support of building industry representatives, the Natural Resources Defense Council and utilities. Roseville Electric offered New Construction Design Incentives to encourage owners and builders to include energy-conserving measures during the project’s design phase. Funding was available to customers on a first-come, first-served basis for any combination of lighting, envelope or mechanical system improvements and for whole-building measures. Before the new code went into effect, SMUD offered incentives for lighting upgrades and cool roofs for commercial buildings, said Lighting Specialist Connie Buchan, but discontinued the programs when the measures became requirements. Cool roof incentives are still available for residential and multi-family since the code does not regulate them. Buchan, with Melissa Blevins at the CLTC, spearheaded the CLTC lighting guide and presented some workshops with CEC trainers. "SMUD held an 'All-Title 24 Summer'," she said. "We had 20 classes covering nothing but Title 24 changes on building envelope, mechanical systems and lighting requirements." The utility offered some Title 24 classes in the fall, and plans to schedule a few spring classes as well. "SMUD has been helping builders and contractors achieve high savings for years," Media Specialist Chris Capra said, "so this is just another step in an ongoing program." As the Golden State continues to raise the bar on energy efficiency in buildings, the industry outside California is starting to follow. Developers are finding that sustainability is a marketing point, especially if it translates into lower energy bills for owners. Also, many municipalities are considering or including efficiency standards in local building codes. Title 24 may provide the blueprint. Please visit our home page at http://www.wapa.gov/es/pubs/esb/default.htm
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