Public Resources
Videos
August 2022 - At The Table - Outcome-Based Approach Working Group
CEA Members Dema Tzamaras from the Center for Sustainable Energy and Jon Zelinksy from Prasino Energy join John Busch from Leviton on the next episode of At the Table. They discuss what the Outcome-Based Approach Working Group goals are for this year, highlight research efforts, and inform how to get involved.
November 2020 - At The Table 1.3 - New Cost-Effectiveness Metrics For Building Energy Efficiency
The energy economy emerging in California today requires policies that recognize the emergence of distributed energy resources and Smart Grid-enabled buildings. These policies must be based on new, Cost-Effectiveness Metrics, or CEMs, that promote, rather than impede, the transition to the 21st Century energy economy. This video shows why this is important, with a Tale of Two Buildings.
September 2020 - At The Table 1.2 - Acceptance Testing Part 2
CEA Members John Busch with Leviton and Michael Scalzo with NLCAA, along with Leslie Nardoni with ICF discuss acceptance test technicians and their role in implementing California energy codes.
September 2020 - At The Table 1.2 - Acceptance Testing Part 1
CEA Members John Busch with Leviton and Michael Scalzo with NLCAA, along with Leslie Nardoni with ICF discuss the role of acceptance testing in California’s Title 24 Part 6.
September 2020 - At The Table 1.0 - Demand Responsive Controlled Receptacles
CEA Members John Busch, Charles Knuffke, and Jon Zelinsky discuss CEA’s recent recommendations for code changes on Demand Responsive Controlled Receptacles.
Reports, Presentations & Papers
September 2024 - CEA Webinar: “Making Outcome-Based Policies Effective”
CEA hosted a lively discussion about how outcome-based policies are being implemented in jurisdictions across the U.S. and how these policies can bridge the gap between new construction and ongoing building energy performance. We heard from leading code officials, sustainability departments, and the EPA about what is/isn't working with these policies and if we can find alignment between energy codes and Building Performance Standards.
Speakers:
Karen Butler, Senior Project Manager at US EPA ENERGY STAR
Duane Jonlin, Energy Code & Energy Conservation Advisor at City of Seattle
Carolyn Elam, Sustainability Senior Manager - Energy & Air Quality at City of Boulder
Coleen Wisniewski, Environmental Sustainability Manager, City of Chula Vista
Moderator: Josh Dean, Executive Director, California Energy Alliance
May 2023 - Navigating Mechanical Controls and Sensor Requirements in California's Energy Codes, Standards, and Efficiency Programs
CEA hosted the California Energy Commission (CEC) for a discussion on HVAC controls & sensor requirements found in the Energy Code and how these devices are being applied in efficiency programs (e.g., CalSHAPE). The CEC discussed what is required for compliance with these systems and ways they are being leveraged to improve indoor air quality in buildings.
Speakers:
Michael Shewmaker from the CEC's Building Standards Branch will discuss HVAC controls & sensors requirements in the 2022 Energy Code.
David Velazquez from the CEC's CalSHAPE Program will share the goals of this program and how it's improving ventilation and indoor air quality in schools throughout CA.
Moderated discussion led by CEA's Executive Director, Josh Dean.
CEA would like to thank SMART Local Union 104 for sponsoring this webinar!
March 2021 - California Releases Report Charting Path to 100 Percent Clean Electricity
Sacramento – The California Energy Commission (CEC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) released the first joint agency report and a summary document examining how the state’s electricity system can become carbon free by 2045.
The report is the initial analysis called for in Senate Bill 100 (SB 100, De León, Chapter 312, Statutes of 2018), the state’s landmark policy requiring that renewable and zero-carbon energy resources supply 100 percent of electric retail sales to customers by 2045. The bill was signed into law in 2018 and calls for these resources to replace fossil fuels for generating electricity in the state.
The 178-page report finds that the goals of SB 100 can be achieved in different ways, but reaching them will require significant investments in new and existing technologies and an increased, sustained build-out of clean energy projects to bring new resources on-line. The report modeled various scenarios to examine sample paths to carbon-free energy. It will be followed with additional analyses of energy reliability and evolving conditions.
For details on the report, view the full SB 100 report and summary.
February 2021 - New Building Institute Releases Code Language That Achieves Carbon Neutral Buildings
New Building Decarbonization Code works as an overlay to the 2021 IECC for residential and commercial construction projects
January 2021 - New Buildings Institute & Building Decarbonization Coalition publish "Building Electrification Technology Roadmap" (BETR)
The Building Electrification Technology Roadmap (BETR) is a first-of-its-kind study focused on accelerating adoption of highly efficient electric technologies that displace fossil fuel technologies. The study takes a comprehensive look at electrification technology options across various residential and commercial building types. The authors characterize more than three dozen technologies on technology readiness, product availability, ease of application, market awareness, and their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study highlights major roadblocks facing these technologies and provides recommendations on how to accelerate market adoption.
November 2020 - Brutal Honesty About Commissioning in California
Presented at CEA Member Meeting by Lyn Gomes, Senior Commissioning/ MEP Coordinator, DPR Construction.
November 2020 - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report: Building Commissioning Costs and Savings Across Three Decades And 1500 North American Buildings
Newly Published Commissioning Study Reaffirms Savings Potential. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers, led by Program Manager Eliot Crowe, assembled the largest repository of cost and benefit data on commissioning project outcomes for new and existing buildings. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and supported by the Building Commissioning Association.
Read Report Synopsis
September 2020 - City of San Diego Municipal Energy Strategy
Presented at CEA Member Meeting by Lindsey Hawes, Municipal Energy Program Manager, Sustainability Department, City of San Diego
Lindsey and her team work closely with City staff, elected officials and public stakeholders to develop and implement strategic energy projects, policies and programs designed to push the City’s building portfolio toward the goal of zero emissions by 2035. Lindsey's background in DER program design, classroom instruction, and project management allows her to lead and affect change across a wide variety of initiatives.
September 2020 - Load Management and Real-time Pricing
Presented AT CEA Member Meeting by Karen Herter, Energy Commission Specialist III, California Energy Commission
Load management slows rising electricity costs and improves grid reliability by improving time-of-use efficiency of electricity consumption. Load management standards support these goals by encouraging increased demand flexibility of the energy system - minimizing cost, improving reliability, and promoting renewable energy resources.
The 2020 Load Management Rulemaking (Docket #19-OIR-01) will expand on efforts to increase efficiency and demand flexibility in California's electricity grid. The California Energy Commission (CEC) will revise the existing standards to promote a demand flexible electricity market, while ensuring that costs and benefits are equitable. The CEC will consider new tariffs, technologies, and other measures that are consistent with the need for increased demand flexibility to support a renewable and decarbonized electricity grid.
June 2020 - Ventilation: Covid-19 And Building Readiness
Presented at CEA Member Meeting By Chris Ruch, Director Of Training At The National Energy Management Institute (NEMI)
The presentation focuses on the role of ventilation, and especially carbon dioxide levels, in overall Indoor Environmental Quality and building health. The COVID-19 pandemic has in a short time drawn attention to the widespread deficiencies of many installed ventilation systems and the need for increased outside air, better maintenance, and revised codes and standards. Chris emphasized how critical mechanical acceptance testing is to achieving healthy buildings. Energy efficient equipment is not enough – equipment must also be properly installed and maintained for proper ventilation and good air quality.
May 2020 - Developing a Policy Framework For An Outcome-Based Energy Code In California
Presented at CEA Member Meeting by Josh Dean, C.E.M., LEED AP O+M
This presentation summarizes a capstone paper by Josh Dean, a CEA Member who represents the San Diego Green Business Council. Josh is a candidate for the degree of Master of Science in Energy Policy & Climate at Johns Hopkins University. The paper, an important piece of groundwork for CEA’s Outcome-Based Code initiative, identifies legislative and regulatory pathways in California which allow nonresidential building energy codes to establish compliance and enforcement mechanisms extending past a building's design, construction, and the issuance of a certificate of occupancy phases.
May 2020 - Case Studies In Occupancy Based Unified Controls And Battery Storage at California State University Dominguez Hills
Presented at CEA Member Meeting By Kenneth Seeton, California State University Dominguez Hills
Kenny Seeton is both the Central Plant Manager and Energy Manager at California State University, Dominguez Hills and is widely recognized as a hands-on expert in innovative energy efficiency strategies and successful installations. He has been a speaker at several U.S. Department of Energy conferences and workshops. He is the recipient of five California Higher Education Sustainability Conference Best Practice Awards.
The presentation covers a case study of a California State University campus project in which HVAC and lighting controls were successfully integrated with occupancy data from the lighting controls system mapped to the Building Automation System (BMS) and used to trigger the HVAC sequence of operation. The approach allows greater flexibility in programming controls, enables effective preventative maintenance, and delivers additional energy efficiency on top of the efficiency in the individual lighting and HVAC systems.
April 2020 - Expanded Exceptional Designs: Building Energy Efficiency Measure Proposal
CEA Proposal - Building Energy Efficiency Measure Proposal to the California Energy Commission For The 2022 Update To The Title 24 Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards - Expanded Exceptional Designs
The California Energy Alliance sponsored proposal presents recommendations to support California Energy Commission’s efforts to update the Title 24 Standards to include or upgrade requirements for various technologies in California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The goal of this proposal is to create new measures that will result in cost-effective enhancements to energy efficiency in buildings. This report and the code change proposal presented is a part of the Energy Commission effort to develop technical and cost-effectiveness information for proposed regulations on building energy efficient design practices and Technologies.
The proposed measure will expand options available for use of the Exceptional Designs compliance mechanism to include novel compliance approaches. The administrative update would create a pathway for the Energy Commission to consider novel projects meeting certain requirements for compliance as an Exceptional Design.
April 2020 - Demand Management - Receptacles 2022: Building Energy Efficiency Measure Proposal
CEA Submission - Building Energy Efficiency Measure Proposal To The California Energy Commission For The 2022 Update To The California Energy Code, Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards: Demand Management – Controlled Receptacles
The California Energy Alliance sponsored proposal presents recommendations to support California Energy Commission’s efforts to update the Title 24 Standards to include or upgrade requirements for various technologies in California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The goal of this proposal is to create new measures that will result in cost-effective enhancements to energy efficiency in buildings. This report and the code change proposal presented is a part of the Energy Commission effort to develop technical and cost-effectiveness information for proposed regulations on building energy efficient design practices and Technologies.
The proposed measure addresses automated demand control of controlled receptacles for newly constructed buildings, building additions and building alterations. It is intended to reduce the energy demand and consumption of miscellaneous electric loads (MELS) connected to controlled receptacles, also referred to as plug loads.
April 2020 - Code Compliance Improvement: Building Energy Efficiency Recommendation
CEA recommendation to support improved compliance and enforcement of California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards - A Central Nonresidential Data Registry/ Repository.
CEA submitted a recommendation to the CEC in April in response to an ongoing collaboration with California’s Acceptance Test Training Certified Providers (ATTCP) and a conversation with the CEC. The work is in support of improved compliance and enforcement of California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards in the development of a Central Nonresidential Data Repository (CNDR). CEA is advocating for a universal data registry that includes all phases of compliance - from installation forms, to testing and compliance forms for a larger data set to increase compliance and enforcement. CEA proposes a CNDR that does not require the State’s ATTCPs to redesign and invest more in the data registry systems they already have in place.
CEA submitted the recommendation to the CEC in April in response to an ongoing collaboration with California’s Acceptance Test Training Certified Providers (ATTCP) and a conversation with the CEC. The work is in support of improved compliance and enforcement of California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards in the development of a Central Nonresidential Data Repository (CNDR). CEA is advocating for a universal data registry that includes all phases of compliance - from installation forms, to testing and compliance forms for a larger data set to increase compliance and enforcement. CEA proposes a CNDR that does not require the State’s ATTCPs to redesign and invest more in the data registry systems they already have in place.
April 2020 - California’s Race to Decarbonize: Steps to Get Carbon Out of Buildings
Presented At CEA Member Meeting By Scott Shell, FAIA, LEED AP Bd+C , CPHC.
Scott is a principal at EHDD Architecture in San Francisco, a nationally recognized expert on high-performance buildings, and a pioneer in low energy and sustainable design.
In the presentation, Scott describes how the methods and technologies required to build low-carbon commercial and institutional buildings are already available and cost-effective. The presentation includes examples of individual building and campus-scale decarbonization success stories, describes the role of on-site and grid-supplied renewable energy in decarbonization, and discusses key policies that have been adopted by local jurisdictions on decarbonization.
February 2020 - Lighting Revolutions: Technology, Design And Application
Presented at CEA Member Meeting by Morgan Pattison Ph.D., LC; Sr. Technical Advisor To U.S. DOE; SSLS, Inc.
September 2019 - Outcome-Based Energy Codes: California Begins Advancing A New Path Toward Grid Optimization And Decarbonization
CEA Presentation at AEE World Proceedings Event.