In California, energy efficiency standards for residential and non-residential buildings were established by legislation in 1978 in order to reduce California’s energy consumption. Building energy efficiency is addressed in Title 24, part 6 of the code manual.
A Title 24 energy report is a set of forms that verify your proposed building design complies with the California Title 24 energy standards.
Title 24 compliance documentation needs to be submitted to the building department prior to the issuance of building permits when building either a new home or adding an addition to an existing home.
The forms contain important information pertaining to the construction and energy efficiency of your home such as surface areas, insulation levels, window performance, heating & cooling systems, water heating, and much more. The “performance” forms include a complex energy calculation.
Not usually. When we calculate the energy we will contact you if required.
With today’s current energy requirements, it’s usually necessary to model the existing space as well as the new space to achieve compliance. Contact us to go over your specific project.
Altering windows and doors affect the energy usage of a structure. The building department will either require you to make the new windows or doors dual pane, or ask that a Title 24 energy calculation be done to show that the changes will not.
Compliance Calculations are typically e-mailed to you in PDF form as an 8.5×11. Simply print out the number of copies you need (usually two) on any standard printer and submit them to the building department. Hard copies can be mailed also upon request.
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Title 24 compliance documentation needs to be submitted to the building department prior to the issuance of building permits when building either a new home or adding an addition to an existing home.
The best time to submit your plans is when you have made all of the decisions about your building project.
Be sure of the window and door sizes and their locations. However, if you haven’t decided on the manufacturer for the windows and doors we can still do our calculations, but we get the best results if you have already made that decision. The reason is that we can use specific data pertaining to the fenestration products you select.
It is best to decide how you intend to heat your home, whether it is forced air or radiant floor, as well as whether you will have air conditioning or not.
Typically, Title 24 calculations are one of the last things you should do before submitting your plans to the building department for approval.
The forms are numerous and complicated and you would be limited to the “prescriptive” method of compliance. A better, more flexible compliance approach is the “performance” method where details of the proposed construction are input into specialized software. The software calculates the minimum level of energy efficiency necessary for compliance then automatically creates the required compliance forms.
This is a simpler method of compliance wherein each component of the house must meet a strict minimum requirement with no exceptions or trade-offs. This method is not recommended for new homes or additions and will result in over-insulating and installing expensive energy conservation measures. It will limit the amount of glass allowed, and might call for special inspections. These factors add significantly to construction costs. The “performance” method eliminates these problems and will save considerably on construction costs.
Residential Title 24 energy reports are prepared within one to two business days
Absolutely. The forms are in a standard format which is accepted by cities and counties throughout California
Yes. After you receive your Title 24 energy report by e-mail, you can print it out, sign and submit it to your building department.
Many cities and counties have enacted green building codes which require new homes be 15% more energy-efficient than the minimum standard. This is easy to accomplish using the performance method. There is no additional fee for this option.
The whole structure, is a high-rise building, therefore, the residential apartments must comply with the Nonresidential (High-rise Residential) Standards.
This is Group R-3 occupancy, the Residential Standards apply. The building is not an apartment house which, according to the UBC, must be at least three dwelling units.
The whole building can comply with the Nonresidential Standards. The residential space is not required to comply separately since it is part of building with less than 10% of the total conditioned floor area. However, the residential space must meet all low-rise residential mandatory measures.
Yes. Since 100% of the addition being permitted is a low-rise residential occupancy, compliance under the Residential Standards is required.
The Title 24 Standards do not apply on unconditioned additions if its heat gain doesn’t affect the performance of the air conditioning system.
Four or more habitable floors are considered High-rise building as far as Title-24 compliance is concerned.
The manager’s unit is less than 10% of the total floor area, so compliance of the whole building as the predominant motel occupancy would satisfy the requirements of the standards. Either the entire building must comply with the Nonresidential (High-Rise Residential and Hotel/Motel) Standards; or the manager’s residence must comply with the low-rise Residential Standards and the motel occupancy portion of the building must comply with the Nonresidential Standards.
Only the addition must comply with the Residential Standards or the existing + addition must comply. If the prescriptive compliance approach is used for the addition alone, special prescriptive requirements apply.
The remodel must still comply with applicable mandatory measures of the Residential Standards.
Lighting Questions
No. California is implementing a new energy efficiency standard for incandescent bulbs that will save consumers money by replacing the least efficient incandescent bulbs with more efficient ones.
A former 100-watt light bulb manufactured on or after January 1, 2011 and sold in California will have to use 72 watts or less. The 72-watt replacement bulb will provide the same amount of light (called “lumens”) for lower energy cost
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) – passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush – created new energy efficiency standards for light bulbs. The law is designed to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and make the U.S. less dependent on foreign sources of energy. The entire country will adopt this standard on January 1, 2012. EISA allowed California to implement the national standard one year earlier.
No, bulbs manufactured before January 1, 2011 do not have to meet the new efficiency standard and may still be sold in California. The new standard does not affect the sale of light bulbs already on store shelves.
A 72-watt incandescent halogen or 23-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb will replace and be as bright as, a traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb.
You can still buy any type of light bulb you like, the only difference is that the new bulbs will use less energy and cost less money to operate while delivering the same amount of light or lumens. New, more efficient incandescent bulbs (also called energy saving halogens) and CFLs are widely available and in the near future we can expect new light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs to enter the market.
Improving energy efficiency reduces utility bills, our dependence on fossil fuels, the need to build costly new power plants, and the emissions of harmful and polluting greenhouse gases.
Newer bulbs are more efficient and make the traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb obsolete. Around 90% of the electricity used by traditional incandescent bulbs is wasted as heat instead of visible, usable light. More efficient bulbs produce the same amount of light but waste less energy in the form of heat.
Because the new bulbs will last longer and use less energy, California consumers won’t have to buy new bulbs as often and will save money on their energy bills, while getting the same amount of light (lumens).
Compact fluorescent bulbs, also known as CFLs, contain a fluorescent tube and ballast in a single unit, and are designed to replace incandescent bulbs. A 23- to 27-watt CFL provides the same amount of light as a traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb while consuming about 75 percent less energy.
No, you do not have to buy any specific type of replacement bulb. The new standard does not favor one kind of bulb over another and consumers will be able to pick from a wide range of currently available products including incandescent halogen, CFL, and LED bulbs.
CFLs cost more to buy, but usually last 6 times longer and use 75 percent less energy than a comparable incandescent light bulb. Typically, more efficient bulbs will save enough energy to offset their higher purchase price within the first year of use.
CFLs are safe to use if handled and used properly. They do use very small amounts of mercury.
Many large retailers – including Home Depot, IKEA, and Lowe’s – will recycle CFLs bulbs for free
A light-emitting diode bulb uses a semiconductor as its light source, and may be used to replace an incandescent bulb.
A halogen bulb is a type of incandescent bulb that uses gases to improve efficiency
Although you can start saving money on your electric bill now by replacing your inefficient incandescent bulbs with more efficient bulbs, the new standard does not affect light bulbs already in use, only those manufactured in 2011 or later. So, you do not have to throw away or stop using your working incandescent bulbs.
A lumen is a measurement of a bulb’s brightness. More lumens means a brighter bulb; fewer lumens means a dimmer bulb. This is very different from the term watts which is a measurement of how fast a bulb consumes energy. When you buy a bulb, you are looking for a particular brightness depending on whether the bulb is for a desk lamp, ceiling fan, etc. Lumens is the best way to determine whether a bulb will be bright enough to meet your needs. In most cases, lumens are already available on light bulb packaging. Beginning in summer 2011, all manufacturers will be required add a new lighting label that provides easy-to-understand information for consumers about lumens, cost to operate, and other light bulb characteristics.
Similar standards for these wattages will go into effect in California over the next few years. Those standards and their schedules are listed below:
|
Traditional Wattage |
New Maximum Wattage |
Lumens |
Implementation Date |
| 100 | 72 | 1490-2600 | January 1, 2011 |
| 75 | 53 | 1050-1489 | January 1, 2012 |
| 60 | 43 | 750-1049 | January 1, 2013 |
| 40 | 29 | 310-749 | January 1, 2013 |
No, the new standard does not affect all light bulbs. Various specialty bulbs are exempt including: 3-way bulbs, colored lights, bug lights, oven and refrigerator bulbs, heavy-duty bulbs, and others.
Cool Roof Questions
Cool roofs are highly reflective and emissive materials that stay 50 to 60 degrees F cooler in the summer sun, thereby reducing energy costs, improving occupant comfort, cutting maintenance costs, increasing the life cycle of the roof, and contributing to the reduction of urban heat islands and associated smog.
Products for low-slope roofs, found on commercial and industrial buildings, fall into two categories – single-ply materials and coatings. Single-ply materials are large sheets of pre-made roofing that are mechanically fastened over the existing roof and sealed at the Seams. Coatings are applied using rollers, sprays, or brushes, over an existing clean, leak-free roof surface.
Products for sloped roofs, usually found on residences, are currently available in clay, or concrete tiles. These products stay cooler by the use of special pigments that reflect the sun’s infrared heat. Lower priced shingles or coated metal roofing products are not yet available in “cool” versions.
Visit the ENERGY STAR® Website for a list of cool roof products and manufacturers. www.energystar.gov
During the summer, a typical dark roof is 150 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit at peak, while cool roofs peak at 100 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Initial material costs are comparable with traditional roofing materials – some cool products cost less than traditional materials, some cost up to 20% more. Cool protective coatings can be reapplied repeatedly every 10 to 15 years and reduce, if not eliminate the need for expensive roof tear-offs. Combining these maintenance savings with an average 20 percent savings on air conditioning costs make cool roofing a better bargain over the long term.
In addition to energy and life cycle savings, rebates are available from some local utility companies for cool roofing in California. For more information on cool roof rebates, visit the Flex Your Power website at: www.fypower.org
Cool roofs are included as a performance option in Title 24. Refer to Section 10-113 for information on certification and labeling requirements for reflectance and emittance of cool roof products. For the prescriptive compliance approach in the energy efficiency standards, view section 118 of Title 24. Sections 141, 142, and 151(b) outline the performance approach. For the latest applicable Standard see: www.energy.ca.gov/title24/
For updates and general information on Title 24 and to download the new Residential Manual (available August 2001), visit www.energy.ca.gov/title24/
No, they are not required, but there are energy credits available to those who use the compliance options in the performance approach.
Commercial and residential products must meet the following specifications according to the ASTM standards outlined below:
| ASTM | Tiles | Multiply or Liquid | |
| Solar Reflectivity | E903 or E1918 | 0.40+ | 0.70+ |
| Emittance Factor | E408 | 0.75+ | 0.75+ |
The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) became the supervisory entity responsible for administering California’s certification program for roofing products beginning January 1, 2003. At this time, every roofing product that is installed to comply with Title 24 will need to carry a packaging label that lists the product’s reflectance and emittance as tested in accordance with ASTM standards.
For more information, see “Section 10-113 – Certification and Labeling of Roofing Product Reflectance and Emittance” of the Building Energy Standards. Until this time, all products must be ENERGY STAR® qualified. For a list of qualified products, visit www.energystar.gov
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