New Title 24 energy standards roll out soon

Title 24 was introduced into California legislature in 1978 to ensure that all buildings meet certain energy standards to help secure California’s energy future. Since then, Title 24 has been updated periodically to ensure that residential and commercial buildings maintain an excellent standard of energy use.

2016 updates to Title 24’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards will go into effect on January 1, 2017. If a grocery store is due for a remodel, or if it is expanding to a new location, make sure the project meets these new standards.

The most significant efficiency improvements to the nonresidential standards include alignment with the ASHRAE 90.1 2013 national standards. Most measures will remain the same between the 2013 and 2016 versions, although some of the lighting power density requirements are getting more strict.

Many retrofit activities require that specific equipment or systems be brought to code compliance. While PG&E is not responsible for drafting or enforcing Title 24, the standards do have a major impact on the incentives they can offer for upgrading equipment. If a measure is required by code, PG&E cannot offer incentives for its implementation.

In the customized program, applicants will need to reference the new version of Title 24 when calculating above-code energy savings. Stay tuned for the new standards’ impact on eligibility criteria for incentives and incentive levels.

Below is a list of relevant resources to help you become familiar with Title 24 and the 2016 Energy Standards.

Relevant resources

EnergySmart Grocer Program

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