With the passage of the new 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (BEES) last year, local governments will have the latter half of this calendar year to review and adopt the new code.
Review of new code involves bringing a number of stakeholders to the table, and local governments may want to use this opportunity to consider “reach codes” – or, adopting a code that goes beyond the state energy code to achieve greater savings.
Reach codes have historically been adopted by local governments as “a percent above” the energy code. For example, a local government could put in place a Tier 1 reach code that took state energy code requirements 15% further. (Some more background on this is available on the CEC’s website.) While that is still an option, many local governments are now considering measure-focused reach codes, focused specifically on implementing on a single, or a few, different measures. If your climate plan, local energy goals, or local energy champions are focused on deployment of specific activities – such as high-efficiency lighting, solar, or cool roofs – this may be a great opportunity for your government.
The California Energy Commission and the California Utilities Statewide Codes and Standards Team are working together to provide local governments with new tools and information so that governments can use this code adoption period to pursue local goals. One of these tools, available here (FINAL_Cool Roofs Cost Effectivenss Report – All CZs), is a cost-effectiveness report analyzing the effects of implementation of a cool roofs reach code in each of the state’s climate zones. Cities, counties, and regional governments can use this report to review the impacts of a cool roofs requirement in their jurisdiction – and, if a cool roofs reach code is found desirable, to submit to the CEC for approval.
Looking for more information on cool roofs? Click here.
Have a question on the Cost-Effectiveness Study for Cool Roofs Report, or thoughts on what other single measure reports might be helpful? Contact the Coordinator at jdecker@lgc.org.