California

Summary:

California’s Title 24, Part 6, authorized by the Warren-Alquist Act of 1974, establishes prescriptive and mandatory guidelines for construction methods, materials, equipment, and controls that are used in new construction and major retrofits.

Description:

California’s energy code is considered to be the most aggressive and best enforced energy code in the United States, and has been a powerful vehicle for advancing energy-efficiency standards for building equipment. Many specifications are performance-based, offering flexibility for designers. The code also stands out because it includes field verification requirements for certain measures and reports high compliance rates overall. The most recent code, effective August 1, 2009 is mandatory statewide and exceeds 2006 IECC standards for residential buildings and meets or exceeds ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004 for commercial buildings.

The building code is revised on a three-year cycle; the 2008 revisions were approved by the Building Standards Commission on September 11, 2008. Governor Shwarzeneggar’s 2004 “Green Building Initiative” (Executive Order S-20-04) creates an additional target of 20% savings in new commercial buildings by 2015, which is likely to result in more aggressive requirements in upcoming adoption cycles. On February 2, 2009, the California Assembly introduced AB 212, which directs the California Energy Commission (CEC) to adopt standards that will require new residential construction to be "zero net energy" starting in 2020. The bill is currently being debated in California's Committee on Appropriations.

Links:

• EERE Building Energy Codes Program

• Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) 

• California's Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Non-Residential Buildings

• California Energy Commission

Contact:

California Energy Commission
Title 24 & Appliance Standards Hotline
Phone: 1-800-772-3300
Email: title24@energy.state.ca.us

Last Updated 06/26/2009

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