Local Energy Codes

August 2023

Reach Code News Brief: August 2023

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Electrify Efficiently! Webinar Series & Other Resources

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This six-part webinar series, recorded earlier in 2023 as a joint effort by PG&E and Electrify My Home, is now available on YouTube.

The series highlights the tremendous business opportunities, the vital role of efficiency, and lessons learned from the home electrification field. Incentives, financing, and training programs are all essential elements for assisting policymakers, building professionals, and homeowners achieve Climate Action Plan goals.

Session topics include:

Good Electrification for Policy and Program Professionals
Home Electrification Product Overview
Home Electrification Financial and Training Programs
Overcoming Heat Punp Objections
Heat Pumps Done Right - A Case Study
The Why and How of Home Performance for Electrification

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Webinars can be viewed as a series or individually for specific topics. They can be included in educational outreach programs for local jurisdictions or for internal training programs.

Other electrification and efficiency resources are also available from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric. SCE maintains a comprehensive Home Efficiency Guide while SDG&E provides extensive resources through its Electrify Your Home webpage hub.

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Upcoming Events

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Pre-Rulemaking Workshops for 2025 Building Building Energy Efficiency Standards: Visit California Energy Commission's webpage for most accurate workshop listings

August 22: California Energy Commission: SB100 Kickoff Workshop

August 23: BayREN Training: Heat Pump HVAC for Building Departments

August 28-29: Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council: ET Summit 2023

August 31: 3C-REN Webinar: Reducing Embodied Carbon: Zero Net Carbon Design Series, Session Four

September 5: 3C-REN Webinar: Home Electrification Planning – Class 3: Developing an Electrification Plan

September 13-14: Net Zero Conference. Los Angeles

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New This Month: Intervening Cycle CalGreen updates

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EV Charging

The reach codes program is updating the residential fact sheet with a comprehensive overview of the new 2022 CALGreen requirements for EV charging for all new construction.

Updated EV charging requirements include:

Adopts the voluntary Tier 1 or Tier 2 requirements of the proposed intervening cycle code revisions for electric vehicle charging
Collapses small and large multifamily buildings, and collapses hotel and motel buildings
Increases requirements for multifamily, hotel and motel buildings
Sets a minimum of one EV space for small nonresidential projects
Adds requirements for nonresidential additions and alterations
Expands occupancies subject to medium- and heavy-duty off-street parking requirements

The statewide Reach Codes Program has developed new model ordinance language for jurisdictions considering an EV charging measure based on these intervening cycle changes.

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Pipe Sizing: Appendix M

California Plumbing Code (CPC) Appendix A is based on the UPC Appendix A model code, which is based on engineering rules first developed in the 1940s. UPC Appendix M Peak Water Demand Calculator offers an alternative methodology for sizing water pipes in new single family and multifamily buildings.

This alternative methodology will result in construction cost savings (on the order of $600-$1,200 per apartment for multifamily buildings) as well as operational cost savings over the life of the building. These include:

Faster hot water delivery, producing smaller monthly water service charges and lower associated volumetric sewer charges
Energy savings due to decreased heat loss in the hot water distribution system, particularly in multifamily buildings with a recirculation system
Embedded energy savings for the water and wastewater utilities due to customer indoor water savings.

The statewide team has published a Study and Executive Summary documenting these savings.

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Embodied Carbon

The BSC has adopted two amendments to CALGreen that reduce embodied carbon emissions in commercial buildings over 100,000 sq feet and school projects over 50,000 sq ft in both adaptive reuse and new construction projects.

Specific mandatory provisions include:

When reusing a building, maintain 45% of the existing structure and enclosure
For new buildings, conduct a cradle-to-grave whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA) demonstrating a 10% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) (Performance Path)
For new buildings, products shall comply with GWP values and environmental product declarations (EDP) shall be included on the construction documents. Based on 175% of IW-EDPGWP values (Buy Clean California Act) and 130% of ready-mixed concrete GWP values (Prescriptive Path)

BSC has published guidance related to these new provisions, which is available here.

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This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E®) and Southern California Edison Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission and in support of the California Energy Commission.

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