Nonresidential and hotel/motel buildings shall comply with the applicable requirements of Sections 120.6(a) through 120.6(g).
Refrigerated warehouses that are greater than or equal to 3,000 square feet and refrigerated spaces with a sum total of 3,000 square feet or more that are served by the same refrigeration system shall meet the requirements of Section 120.6(a).
Refrigerated spaces that are less than 3,000 square feet shall meet the requirements of the Appliance Efficiency Regulations for walk-in coolers or freezers contained in the Appliance Efficiency Regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Sections 1601 through 1608).
SPACE | SURFACE | MINIMUM R-VALUE (° F∙hr∙sf/Btu) |
Freezers | Roof/Ceiling | R-40 |
Freezers | Wall | R-36 |
Freezers | Floor | R-35 |
Freezers | Floor with all heating from productive refrigeration capacity 1 | R-20 |
Coolers | Roof/Ceiling | R-28 |
Coolers | Wall | R-28 |
Footnote to TABLE 120.6-A: 1 All underslab heating is provided by a heat exchanger that provides refrigerant subcooling or other means that result in productive refrigeration capacity on the associated refrigerated system. |
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)2: Underslab heating systems controlled such that the electric resistance heat is thermostatically controlled and disabled during the summer on-peak period defined by the local electric utility.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)3B: Addition, alteration or replacement of less than all of the evaporators in an existing refrigerated space that does not have speed-controlled evaporators.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(a)3B: Coolers within refrigerated warehouses that maintain a Controlled Atmosphere for which a licensed engineer has certified that the types of products stored will require constant operation at 100 percent of the design airflow.
EXCEPTION 3 to Section 120.6(a)3B: Areas within refrigerated warehouses that are designed solely for the purpose of quick chilling/freezing of products, including but not limited to spaces with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft² (2 tons per 100 ft²).
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)3C: Areas within refrigerated warehouses that are designed solely for the purpose of quick chilling/freezing of products (space with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft² (2 tons per 100 ft²)).
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)4A: Compressors and condensers on a refrigeration system for which more than 20 percent of the total design refrigeration cooling load is for quick chilling/freezing of products (space with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft2), or process refrigeration cooling for other than a refrigerated space.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)4B: Condensing units with a total compressor horsepower less than 100 HP.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(a)4B: Compressors and condensers on a refrigeration system for which more than 20 percent of the total design refrigeration cooling load is for quick chilling/freezing of products (space with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft2), or process refrigeration cooling for other than a refrigerated space.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)4C: Compressors and condensers on a refrigeration system for which more than 20 percent of the total design refrigeration cooling load is for quick chilling/freezing of products (space with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft2 (2 tons per 100 ft2)), or process refrigeration cooling for other than a refrigerated space.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)4F: Condensing temperature control strategies approved by the Executive Director that have been demonstrated to provide at least equal energy savings.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(a)4F: Systems served by adiabatic condensers in Climate Zones 1, 3, 5, 12, 14 and 16.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)4G: Adiabatic condensers with ammonia as refrigerant.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)4H: Micro-channel condensers.
CONDENSER TYPE | REFRIGERANT TYPE | MINIMUM EFFICIENCY | RATING CONDITION |
Outdoor Evaporative-Cooled with THR Capacity > 8,000 MBH | All | 350 Btuh /watt | 100°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 70°F Outdoor Wetbulb Temperature |
Outdoor Evaporative-Cooled with THR Capacity < 8,000 MBH and Indoor Evaporative-Cooled | All | 160 Btuh /watt | 100°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 70°F Outdoor Wetbulb Temperature |
Outdoor Air-Cooled | Ammonia | 75 Btuh /watt | 105°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 95°F Outdoor Drybulb Temperature |
Outdoor Air-Cooled | Halocarbon | 65 Btuh /watt | 105°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 95°F Outdoor Drybulb Temperature |
Adiabatic Dry Mode | Halocarbon | 45 Btuh /watt | 105°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 95°F Outdoor Drybulb Temperature |
Indoor Air-Cooled | All | Exempt | Exempt |
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)5B: Compressors with a design saturated suction temperature greater than or equal to 30°F shall be designed to operate at a minimum condensing temperature of 70°F or less.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)5C: Refrigeration plants with more than one dedicated compressor per suction group.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(a)5C: Compressors and condensers on a refrigeration system for which more than 20 percent of the total design refrigeration cooling load is for quick chilling/freezing of products (space with design cooling capacities of greater than 240 Btu/hr-ft2 (2 tons per 100 ft2)), or process refrigeration cooling for other than a refrigerated space.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(a)6: Openings with less than 16 square feet of opening area.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(a)6: Dock doorways for trailers.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)8B: Design leaving gas temperature for air-cooled gas coolers in Climate Zones 2, 4, and 8 shall be less than or equal to the design dry bulb temperature plus 8°F.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(a)8G: Transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems with a design intermediate saturated suction temperature greater than or equal to 30°F shall have a minimum condensing temperature setpoint of 70°F or less.
CONDENSER TYPE | REFRIGERANT TYPE | MINIMUM EFFICIENCY | RATING CONDITION |
Outdoor Air-Cooled | Transcritical CO2 | 160 Btuh /watt | 1400 psig , 100°F Outlet Gas Temperature, 90°F Outdoor Dry bulb Temperature |
Adiabatic Dry Mode | Transcritical CO2 | 90 Btuh /watt | 1100 psig, 100°F Outlet Gas Temperature, 90°F Outdoor Dry bulb Temperature |
Retail food or beverage stores with 8,000 square feet or more of conditioned floor area, and that utilize either refrigerated display cases, or walk-in coolers or freezers, shall meet all applicable State and federal appliance and equipment standards consistent with Section 110.1 or, for equipment not subject to such standards, the requirements of Subsections 1 through 4.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)1B, C and D: Condensing temperature control strategies approved by the executive director that have been demonstrated to provide equal energy savings.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)1D: Systems served by adiabatic condensers in Climate Zone 16.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)1G: Condensers with a Total Heat Rejection capacity of less than 150,000 Btuh at the specific efficiency rating condition.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)1G: Stores located in Climate Zone 1.
EXCEPTION 3 to Section 120.6(b)1G: Existing condensers that are reused for an addition or alteration.
CONDENSER TYPE | MINIMUM SPECIFIC EFFICIENCYa | RATING CONDITION |
Evaporative-Cooled | 160 Btuh/watt | 100°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 70°F Entering Wetbulb Temperature |
Air-Cooled | 65 Btuh/watt | 105°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 95°F Entering Drybulb Temperature |
Adiabatic Dry Mode | 45 Btu/watt (halocarbon) | 105°F Saturated Condensing Temperature (SCT), 95°F Entering Drybulb Temperature |
a See Section 100.1 for definition of condenser specific efficiency. |
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)1H: Microchannel condensers.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)1H: Existing condensers that are reused for an addition or alteration.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(b)1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G: Transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(b)1: New condensers replacing existing condensers when the attached compressor system Total Heat of Rejection does not increase and less than 25 percent of both the attached compressors and the attached display cases are new.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)2A: Single compressor systems that do not have continuously variable capacity capability.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)2A: Suction groups that have a design saturated suction temperature of 30°F or higher, or suction groups that comprise the high stage of a two-stage or cascade system or that primarily serve chillers for secondary cooling fluids.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)2B: Low temperature cascade systems that condense into another refrigeration system rather than condensing to ambient temperature.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)2B: Transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(b)2C: Compressors with a design saturated suction temperature greater than or equal to 30°F shall be designed to operate at a minimum condensing temperature of 70°F or less.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(b)2: Existing compressor systems that are reused for an addition or alteration.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(b)4A: Stores located in Climate Zone 15.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(b)4A: HVAC systems or refrigeration systems that are reused for an addition or alteration.
EXCEPTION 3 to Section 120.6(b)4A: Stores where the design Total Heat of Rejection of all refrigeration systems is less than or equal to 500,000 Btu/h.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(b)5G: Transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems with a design intermediate saturated suction temperature greater than or equal to 30°F shall have a minimum condensing temperature setpoint of 70°F or less.
CONDENSER TYPE | REFRIGERANT TYPE | MINIMUM EFFICIENCY | RATING CONDITION |
Outdoor Air-Cooled | Transcritical CO2 | 160 Btuh /watt | 1400 psig, 100°F Outlet Gas Temperature, 90°F Outdoor Dry bulb Temperature |
Adiabatic Dry Mode | Transcritical CO2 | 90 Btuh /watt | 1100 psig, 100°F Outlet Gas Temperature, 90°F Outdoor Dry bulb Temperature |
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(c): Any garage, or portion of a garage, where more than 20 percent of the vehicles expected to be stored have nongasoline combustion engines.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(c): Additions and alterations to existing garages where less than 10,000 cfm of new exhaust capacity is being added.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(d)3: Boilers with steady state full-load combustion efficiency 90 percent or higher.
All new compressed air systems, and all additions or alterations of compressed air systems where the total combined horsepower (hp) of the compressor(s) is 25 hp or more shall meet the requirements of Subsections 1 through 5. These requirements apply to the compressors, related piping systems, and related controls that provide compressed air and do not apply to any equipment or controls that use or process the compressed air.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(e): Medical gas compressed air systems serving healthcare facilities.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(e)1: Alterations where the total combined added or replaced compressor horsepower is less than the average per-compressor horsepower of all compressors in the system.
EXCEPTION 2 to Section 120.6(e)1: Alterations where all added or replaced compressors are variable speed drive (VSD) compressors and compressed air system includes primary storage of at least one gallon per actual cubic feet per minute (acfm) of the largest trim compressor.
EXCEPTION 3 to Section 120.6(e)1: Compressed air systems that have been approved by the Energy Commission Executive Director as having demonstrated that the system serves loads for which typical air demand fluctuates less than 10 percent.
EXCEPTION 4 to Section 120.6(e)1: Alterations of existing compressed air systems that include one or more centrifugal compressors.
If dial gauges are used for conducting this test, these gauges must conform with California Plumbing Code Sections 318.3, 318.4, and 318.5.
Piping less than or equal to 50 adjoining feet in length shall be pressurized and inspected. Connections shall be tested with a noncorrosive leak-detecting fluid or other leak detecting methods at the discretion of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(f)1: Interior signal lighting and interior display lighting are not included in the calculation of lighting power density.
EXCEPTION to Section 120.6(f): Elevators located in healthcare facilities.
EXCEPTION 1 to Section 120.6(i): Steam traps where steam is diverted to a steam system of lower pressure for use when the steam trap fails open.
NOTE: Authority: Sections 25213, 25218, 25218.5, 25402 and 25402.1, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 25007, 25008, 25218.5, 25310, 25402, 25402.1, 25402.4, 25402.8, and 25943, Public Resources Code.