10-109 – COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE, ALTERNATIVE COMPONENT PACKAGES, EXCEPTIONAL METHODS, DATA REGISTRIES AND RELATED EXTERNAL DIGITAL DATA SOURCES, ALTERNATIVE RESIDENTIAL FIELD VERIFICATION PROTOCOLS, ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT REPOSITORIES, PHOTOVOLTAIC, AND BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM REQUIREMENT DETERMINATIONS
The compliance manager is the public domain computer program, including simulation and compliance rule implementation software, developed by the Energy Commission pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 25402.1. The compliance manager software simulates the energy use of a proposed residential or nonresidential building and compares it to a standard design energy budget to determine if the building complies with the Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The compliance manager shall be able to do the following:
The standard design building is a building simulated to establish the baseline energy budget for space heating, space cooling, indoor air quality ventilation, and water heating for a proposed building.
For newly constructed buildings, the standard design building shall be modeled as in the same location and having the same characteristics, including but not limited to floor area, volume, and configuration, as the proposed building, except that wall and fenestration areas shall be distributed equally between the four main compass points. For additions and alterations, the standard design shall be modeled as in the same location and having the same characteristics and shall have the same wall and fenestration areas and orientations as existing building.
Where the Energy Commission specifies that the standard design building includes a covered product subject to 42 USC 6295, or an appliance regulated by the Appliance Efficiency Regulations, the standard design building shall be modeled to meet but not exceed the efficiency level required by 42 USC 6295 for that covered product or applicable standards required by the Appliance Efficiency Regulations for that regulated appliance, respectively.
The standard design building shall be modeled to include the mandatory requirements of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and to meet but not exceed the prescriptive requirements that would apply to the proposed building.
The process of generating the standard design shall be performed automatically. This modeling shall be based on the inputs that describe the proposed building, substituting the assumptions for wall and fenestration area distribution, required efficiency for the covered product subject to 42 USC 6295 that the Energy Commission specifies in the standard design, and the applicable standards for the appliance regulated by the Appliance Efficiency Regulation that the Energy Commission specifies in the standard design, and mandatory and prescriptive options applicable to the proposed building, thereby creating a standard design building against which the energy use of the proposed building can be evaluated.
Long-term system cost (LSC) -– All electricity, gas or propane used within the modeled buildings shall be converted to LSC.
Source energy – The energy used within the modeled buildings shall be represented as long-run marginal, hourly source energy.
The Energy Commission has established typical weather data, prescriptive packages, and energy budgets for 16 geographic areas of California, called climate zones, as specified in the Energy Efficiency Standards and Joint Appendix 2.
Climate zone dependent information based on the climate zone or zip code specified for the proposed building shall be used.
Where climate elements are incorporated into modeling calculations for the standard and proposed buildings, the effects of weather, temperature, and other climate elements shall be calculated based on the climate zone specified for the proposed buildings. The same adjustment shall be applied to both buildings.
The standard design shall be modeled as incorporating prescriptive options appropriate to climate zone specified for the proposed building.
For covered products subject to 42 USC 6295, and for appliances regulated by the Appliance Efficiency Regulations, the estimated energy use of those covered products or appliances used to calculate the total energy use of the standard design and proposed buildings shall be determined using the test procedures prescribed by 42 USC 6293, or the Appliance Efficiency Regulations, respectively. This estimated energy use shall be adjusted to reflect the conditions where Part 6 is being applied, as a part of calculating the total long-term system cost, and source energy of each building consistent with this section and document in the Alternative Calculation Method Reference Manual.
The Energy Commission shall publish a reference manual, Alternative Calculation Method Reference Manual, that specifies the standard design, documents the calculations and methods used by the compliance software to model building performance, calculates LSC and Source Energy, and determines building compliance with the Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
If required, the necessary files needed to register the compliance documentation with an ECC provider shall be generated.
The Commission may approve an exceptional method that analyzes a design, material, or device that cannot be adequately modeled using the public domain computer programs. Applications for approval of exceptional methods shall include all information needed to verify the method's accuracy.
The Commission may take the following actions on an application submitted pursuant to this section:
An applicant may resubmit a rejected application or may request modification of a restricted approval. Such application shall include the information required pursuant to this section, and, if applicable, shall indicate how the proposed compliance software, alternative component package, exceptional method, data registry or related data input software has been changed to enhance its accuracy or capabilities.
In addition to the procedures and protocols identified in the Sections 10-109(c), 10-116 and the Reference Appendices, the Commission may authorize alternative procedures or protocols that demonstrate compliance with Part 6.
Data registries and related external digital data sources shall conform to the requirements specified in Reference Joint Appendix JA7.
a. The Commission has approved data schema capable of utilization in the development of any nonresidential data registry.
b. The Commission will not lose access to information necessary to support the enforcement and development of current and future building code cycles.
The Commission may, upon written application or its own motion, determine that the photovoltaic or BESS requirements in Section 150.1(a)3, Section 140.0(c), Section 170.0(a)3 shall not apply, if the Commission finds that the implementation of public agency rules regarding utility system costs and revenue requirements, compensation for customer-owned generation, interconnection fees, or other factors, causes the Commission’s cost effectiveness conclusions, made pursuant to Public Resources Code 25402(b)(3), to not hold for particular buildings.
Applications shall include full information regarding the differences between public agency rules and Energy Commission cost effectiveness determinations, including all information requested by the Commission to enable full review of the application. Applications shall also include specific recommended limitations to the scope of the determination that is requested, and specific eligibility criteria to determine what buildings would qualify for the determination. Applications from public agencies shall be submitted to the Energy Commission only after public review within the jurisdiction of the public entity or service area of the utility. In cases where conditions have changed that potentially would alter Energy Commission determinations that previously have been made, the Energy Commission may reconsider those determinations on its own motion. Prior applicants shall assist the Energy Commission in obtaining information regarding current public agency rules upon request.
NOTE: Authority: Sections 25402 and 25402.1, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 25007, 25008, 25218.5, 25310, 25402, 25402.1, 25402.4, 25402, 25402.8, 25605, 25910, and 25943, Public Resources Code.