Section 170.1 – Performance Approach

A building complies with the performance approach if the energy budget calculated for the Proposed Design Building under Subsection (b) is no greater than the energy budget calculated for the Standard Design Building under Subsection (a).

(a) Energy budget for the standard design building. The energy budget for the Standard Design Building is expressed in terms of source energy and time-dependent valuation (TDV) energy, and they are determined by applying the mandatory and prescriptive requirements to the Proposed Design Building. The source energy budget and the TDV energy budget is the sum of the TDV energy for space-conditioning, indoor lighting, mechanical ventilation, photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage system, service water heating, and covered process loads.

(b) Energy budget for the proposed design building. The energy budget for a Proposed Design Building is expressed in terms of source energy and time-dependent valuation (TDV) energy, and they are determined by calculating the source energy and TDV energy for the Proposed Design Building. The source energy budget and the TDV energy budget is the sum of the energy for space-conditioning, indoor lighting, mechanical ventilation, photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage system, and service water heating and covered process loads. The Proposed Building shall separately comply with the source energy budget and the TDV energy budget.

EXCEPTION to Section 170.1(b): A community shared solar electric generation system, or other renewable electric generation system, and/or community shared battery storage system, that provides dedicated power, utility energy reduction credits, or payments for energy bill reductions, to the permitted building and is approved by the Energy Commission as specified in Title 24, Part 1, Section 10-115, may offset part or all of the solar electric generation system or battery storage system TDV energy required to comply with the Standards, as calculated according to methods established by the Commission in the Nonresidential ACM Reference Manual.

(c) Calculation of energy budget. The TDV energy for both the Standard Design Building and the Proposed Design Building shall be computed by Compliance Software certified for this use by the Commission. The processes for Compliance Software approval by the Commission are documented in the ACM Approval Manual.

(d) Compliance demonstration requirements for performance standards.

1. Certificate of Compliance and Application for a Building Permit. The application for a building permit shall include documentation pursuant to Sections 10-103(a)1 and 10-103(a)2 that demonstrates, using an approved calculation method, that the building has been designed so that its source energy budget and TDV energy budget do not exceed the Standard Design for the applicable climate zone.

2. Field verification of individual dwelling unit systems. When performance of installed features, materials, components, manufactured devices or systems above the minimum specified in Section 170.2 is necessary for the building to comply with Section 170.1, or is necessary to achieve a more stringent local ordinance, field verification shall be performed in accordance with the applicable requirements in the following subsections, and the results of the verification(s) shall be documented on applicable Certificates of Installation pursuant to Section 10-103(a)3 and applicable Certificates of Verification pursuant to Section 10-103(a)5.

A. EER/EER2/SEER/SEER2/CEER/HSPF/HSPF2 Rating. When performance compliance requires installation of a space conditioning system with a rating that is greater than the minimum rating required by RA3.

B. Variable capacity heat pump (VCHP) Compliance Option. When performance compliance requires installation of a heat pump system that meets all the requirements of the VCHP compliance option specified in the ACM Reference Manual, the system shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.4.4.3.

C. Low leakage air handler. When performance compliance requires installation of a low leakage air-handling unit, the installed air handling unit shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures specified in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.1.4.3.9.

D. Reserved.

E. Heat pump - Rated Heating Capacity. When performance compliance requires installation of a heat pump system, the heating capacity values at 47°F and 17° F shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures specified in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.4.4.2.

F. Whole-house fan. When performance compliance requires installation of a whole-house fan, the whole-house fan ventilation airflow rate and fan efficacy shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.9.

G. Central fan ventilation cooling system. When performance compliance requires installation of a central fan ventilation cooling system, the installed system shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.3.4.

H. Dwelling unit enclosure air leakage. When performance compliance requires a building enclosure leakage rate that is lower than the standard design, the building enclosure shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures specified in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.8.

I. Quality insulation installation (QII). When performance compliance requires field verification of QII, the building insulation system shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.5.

J. Precooling. When performance compliance requires field verification of the installation and programming of a precooling thermostat, it shall be field verified in accordance with the procedures in Reference Residential Appendix RA3.4.5.