Last Chance to Comment on the Title 24 HVAC Code Changes Before Formal Rulemaking Begins

Sacramento — Last week the California Energy Commission (CEC) held a multi-day workshop to develop revisions to the Building Energy Efficiency Standards contained in the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 24. This pre-rulemaking workshop is part of a public process that precedes a formal regulatory adoption in early 2018 with an effective date of January 1, 2020.

The following code changes are the ones that pertain specifically to HVAC and mechanical systems, they are listed by code section with a small summary of the proposed changes:

• Section 120– Mandatory Requirements for Nonresidential, High Rise Residential, and Hotel/Motel Buildings
  • 120.1– Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) updates, Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) update
  • 120.2– HVAC Control updates supporting 120.1
  • 120.6– Condensers update, aligning commercial refrigeration language with federal equipment standards
• Section 140– Performance and Prescriptive Compliance Approached
  • 140.1– Revised fan power limitations, space conditioning zone control requirements, new requirements for chilled water systems
  • 140.9– Added requirements for exhaust system transfer air, fan system power consumption, fume hood automatic sash closure
• Nonresidential Appendix (NA)
  • NA 2.2– Added field verification and diagnostic testing of mechanical ventilation systems
• Section 150.0– Low-Rise residential Buildings- Mandatory Requirements
  • 150.0(m)– Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) updates
• Section 150.1– Low-Rise Residential Buildings- Prescriptive Requirements
  • 150.1(c)7– Added requirements specific to small duct high velocity (SDHV) systems
  • 150.1(c)8– Added prescriptive heat pump pathway, drain water heat recovery
• Section 150.2– Low-Rise Residential Buildings- Additions and Alterations
  • 150.2(b)1f– Added requirements specific to small duct high velocity (SDHV) systems (matches 1501.1(c)7)
• Residential Appendix (RA)
  • RA3– Added verification of Central Fan Ventilation Cooling Systems (CFVCs), rated heat pump capacity, whole house fans, drain water heat recovery, updated envelope verification procedures

To see a full list of all the draft standards discussed over October 4th & 5th click HERE.