Project Name
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Name used for the project, if one is applicable
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is optional for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Project Address
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Street address, city, state, and zip code
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters on each of two lines
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Project Owner
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Owner(s) of the project or individual or organization for whom the building permit is sought. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is optional for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Architect
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Architect responsible for the building design. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
HVAC Engineer
Applicability
All projects
Definition
HVAC Engineer responsible for the building design. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Lighting Engineer/Designer
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Lighting Engineer/Designer responsible for the building design. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Energy Modeler
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Individual responsible for performing the compliance analysis. Information should include name, title, organization, email, and phone number.
Units
Up to 50 alphanumeric characters
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Date
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Date of completion of the compliance analysis or the date of its most-recent revision
Units
Date format
Input Restrictions
Input is mandatory for the proposed design.
Standard Design
Not applicable
Compliance Type
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Type of compliance project (new construction, partial compliance or additions and alterations).
Units
List:
New Complete – new construction project
New Envelope Only – new construction, partial compliance with envelope.
New Envelope and Lighting Only – new construction, partial compliance with envelope and lighting.
New Envelope and Partial Lighting Only – new construction, partial compliance with envelope and lighting compliance for some spaces.
New Mechanical Only – new construction, partial compliance with mechanical. This is the complement of a partial compliance wiith Envelope and Lighting, which should have already been performed.
New Mechanical and Lighting Only – new construction, partial compliance with mechanical and lighting only. The building should have already passed an Envelope Only partial compliance.
New Mechanical and Partial Lighting Only – new construction, partial compliance with envelope.
Addition – addition project (new conditioned floor area and volume)
Alteration – alteration project
Addition And Alteration – project with both additions and alterations
Input Restrictions
As Designed
Standard Design
Same as Proposed
Existing Building Net Cooling Capacity
|
|
|
|
Additions and alterations
|
|
The total net cooling
capacity (rated) of all existing HVAC systems, and any added HVAC systems, in an
existing building.
This descriptor is needed
because the user need not model an entire existing building. The capacity
of the altered HVAC systems determine the system map for the standard design for
the additions and alterations project.
|
|
Btu/h
|
|
As designed
|
|
Not applicable
|
|
Not applicable
Existing Building Number of Stories
Applicability
Additions and alterations
Definition
The total number of stories of the building.
For information and reporting purposes only.
Units
integer
Input Restrictions
As designed
Standard Design
Not applicable
Standard Design, Existing Buildings
Not applicable
Existing Building Floor Area
|
|
Applicability
Additions and alterations
Definition
The total floor area of an existing building, including any additions, if present.
For information and reporting purposes only.
Units
ft2
Input Restrictions
As designed
Standard Design
Not applicable
Standard Design, Existing Buildings
Not applicable
Earlier sections of this reference 'manual have described the available partial compliance scenarios. The compliance software that supports these scenarios must define the inputs for both the proposed design and the standard design for unpermitted portions of the building.
1) Envelope Only – the user specifies the building envelope and all spaces, space types and thermal zones in the building. The standard design rules are applied to the envelope components. For all lighting and HVAC inputs, the proposed design values are prescribed and follow the rules for the standard design, including modeling the same HVAC systems determined using the new construction HVAC system map in Section 5.1.2..
2) Envelope and Lighting Only – the user specifies the building envelope, spaces, space types, thermal zones and all lighting, and any daylighting, where present. For all HVAC inputs, the proposed design values are prescribed and follow the rules for the standard design, including modeling the same HVAC systems determined using the new construction HVAC system map in Section 5.1.2.
3) Envelope and Partial Lighting Only – this compliance option is used for projects where the building envelope is defined, and where the lighting in some of the spaces is defined. The user specifies the building envelope, all spaces, space types, thermal zones and lighting for spaces with lighting systems defined, and any daylighting, where present. For all HVAC inputs, the proposed design values are prescribed and follow the rules for the standard design, including modeling the same HVAC systems determined using the new construction HVAC system map in Section 5.1.2.
4) Mechanical Only – this compliance option assumes that the building has already been permitted for envelope and lighting. The envelope and lighting systems for both the proposed design and the standard design are modeled as designed. (For example, if the building vertical fenestration area exceeds prescriptive WWR limits, the limits are NOT applied to the standard design. Instead, the actual vertical fenestration area is used.) The mechanical systems of the proposed model are described as-designed, and the new construction rules and system map are applied to the HVAC system of the standard design.
5) Mechanical and Lighting Only – this compliance option assumes that the building has already been permitted for envelope compliance. All spaces and space types must be defined by the user, and all envelope components for the proposed design are “as designed” (must be defined by the user). The standard design lighting and HVAC components are set to match the standard design.
6) Mechanical and Partial Lighting Compliance – this compliance option assumes that the building has already been permitted for Envelope and Partial Lighting compliance (option 3 above). The envelope components, spaces and space types and permitted lighting spaces are entered as designed for the proposed design, and for these components, the standard design is set to be the same as the proposed. For the other components as part of the permit application, the mechanical systems and new lighting systems are entered by the user for the proposed design as designed, and the standard design components for the mechanical (HVAC) system and new lighting systems are defined by the new construction standard design rules.
Building descriptors whose inputs for both the proposed design and standard design are restricted to prescribed values (equipment performance curves, for example) follow the same rules for prescribed values for any of the partial compliance projects 'listed above.
The structure of this 'manual supports multiple purposes and multiple baselines. For example, a baseline used for Title 24 compliance might be separate from a baseline used for green building ratings or beyond code programs. A building descriptor “Purpose” could be used to identify different baselines, but is not within the current scope of this 'manual.
Space Classification Type
Applicability
All projects
Definition
One of two available classification methods for identifying the function of the building or the functions of spaces within the building, which in turn determine energy-related requirements for the standard design. Appendix 5.4A lists the building classifications that are available under the complete building method and area category method.
The Complete Building method uses the same space definitions for all spaces within a building, and the building type must match one of the types in the list in the Appendix.
The Area Category method uses a separate space classification for each space in the building according to its function.
Units
List: Complete Building, Area Category
Input Restrictions
For multi-use buildings, the building may be divided and a different building classification may be assigned to each part. Either the complete building method or the area category method must be used, but the two classification methods may not be mixed within a single compliance run.
Standard Design
Same as proposed
Building Classification
Applicability
When the complete building method is used instead of the area category method of classifying activity in the building
Definition
The building type or principal activity. One of two available classification methods for identifying the function of the building or the functions of spaces within the building, which in turn determine energy-related requirements for the standard design. Appendix 5.4A lists the building classifications that are available under the complete building method.
Units
List: Choose a building activity from Appendix 5.4A
Input Restrictions
For multi-use buildings, the building may be divided and a different building classification may be assigned to each part. Either the complete building method or the area category method must be used, but the two classification methods may not be mixed within a single compliance run.
Standard Design
Same as proposed
The following data needs to be specified or derived in some manner. Software developers may use any acceptable method to determine the data. For California, city, state and county are required to determine climate data from the available data in Reference Appendix JA2
Zip Code
Applicability
All projects
Definition
California postal designation
Units
List
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Not applicable
Latitude
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The latitude of the project site
Units
Degrees (°)
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Latitude of representative city from Reference Appendix JA2
Longitude
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The longitude of the project site
Units
Degrees (°)
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Longitude of representative city from Reference Appendix JA2
Elevation
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The height of the building site above sea level
Units
Feet (ft)
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Elevation of representative city from Reference Appendix JA2
California Climate Zone
Applicability
All projects
Definition
One of the 16 California climate zones
Units
List
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Same as proposed
Daylight Savings Time Observed
Applicability
All projects
Definition
An indication that daylight savings time is observed. The schedules of operation are shifted by an hour twice a year and this affects solar gains, temperature and other factors.
Units
Boolean (True/False)
Input Restrictions
True
Standard Design
True
County
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The county where the project is located
Units
List
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
County of representative city from Reference Appendix JA2
City
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The city where the project is located
Units
List
Input Restrictions
None
Standard Design
Representative city from Reference Appendix JA2
Design Day Data
Applicability
All projects
Definition
A data structure indicating design day information used for the sizing of the proposed system. Note that this information may not necessarily match the information used in the annual compliance simulation.
Units
Data Structure: contains the following:
Design DB (0.5%), Mean Coincident Wet-Bulb, Daily Range, Day of Year
Input Restrictions
The design day information is taken from one of the 86 pre-defined California weather files, for the location within the same climate zone that is closest to the proposed building’s location. (This is not input by the user.)
Standard Design
Not applicable
Weather File
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The hourly (i.e., 8,760 hour per year) weather data to be used in performing the building energy simulations. Weather data must include outside dry-bulb temperature, outside wet-bulb temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, cloud amount, cloud type (or total horizontal solar and total direct normal solar), clearness number, ground temperature, humidity ratio, density of air, and specific enthalpy.
Units
Data file
Input Restrictions
The weather file selected shall be in the same climate zone as the proposed design. If multiple weather files exist for one climate zone then the weather file closest in distance to the proposed design and in the same climate zone shall be used.
Standard Design
Weather data shall be the same for both the proposed design and standard design.
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Ground reflectance affects daylighting calculations and solar gain. The reflectance can be specified as a constant for the entire period of the energy simulation or it may be scheduled, which can account for snow cover in the winter.
Units
Data structure: schedule, fraction
Input Restrictions
Prescribed. The weather file determines the ground reflectance. The ground reflectance shall be set to 0.2 when the snow depth is 0 or undefined, and set to 0.6 when the snow depth is greater than 0.
Standard Design
Same as proposed
Local Terrain
Applicability
All projects
Definition
An indication of how the local terrain shields the building from the prevailing wind. Estimates of this effect are provided in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Units
List: the list shall contain only the following choices:
|
Description |
Exponent () |
Boundary layer thickness, m) |
|
Flat, open country |
0.14 |
270 |
|
Rough, wooded country, Suburbs |
0.22 |
370 |
|
Towns and cities |
0.33 |
460 |
|
Ocean |
0.10 |
210 |
|
Urban, industrial, forest |
0.22 |
370 |
The exponent and boundary layer are used in the following equation to adjust the local wind speed:
where
z = altitude, height above ground (m)
Vz = wind speed at altitude z (m/s)
α = wind speed profile exponent at the site
δ = wind speed profile boundary layer thickness at the site (m)
zmet = height above ground of the wind speed sensor at the meteorological station (m)
Vmet = wind speed measured at the meteorological station (m/s)
αmet = wind speed profile exponent at the meteorological station
δmet = wind speed profile boundary layer thickness at the meteorological station. (m)
The wind speed profile coefficients α, δ, αmet, and δmet, are variables that depend on the roughness characteristics of the surrounding terrain. Typical values for α and δ are shown in the table above:
Input Restrictions
Weather data should be representative of the long term conditions at the site
Standard Design
The standard design terrain should be equal to the proposed design
Applicability
All projects
Definition
Shading of building fenestration, roofs, or walls by other structures, surrounding terrain, vegetation, and the building itself
Units
Data structure
Input Restrictions
The default and fixed value is for the site to be unshaded. External shading from other buildings or other objects is not modeled for Title 24 compliance in the ACM.
Standard Design
The proposed design and standard design are modeled with identical assumptions regarding shading of the building site.
Year for Analysis
Applicability
All projects
Definition
The calendar year to be used for the annual energy simulations. This input determines the correspondence between days of the week and the days on which weather events on the weather tape occur and has no other impact.
Units
List: choose a year (other than a leap year).
Input Restrictions
Use year 1991.
Standard Design
Same calendar year as the proposed design
Schedule of Holidays
Applicability
All projects
Definition
A list of dates on which holidays are observed and on which holiday schedules are used in the simulations
Units
Data structure
Input Restrictions
The following ten holidays represent the prescribed set. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday is observed on the Friday proceeding the Saturday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the following Monday.
New
Year’s Day
January 1
Martin Luther King
Day
Third Monday in January
Presidents
Day
Third Monday in February
Memorial
Day
Last Monday in May
Independence
Day
July 4
Labor
Day
First Monday in September
Columbus
Day
Second Monday in October
Veterans
Day
November 11
Thanksgiving
Day
Fourth Thursday in November
Christmas
Day
December 25
Standard Design
The standard design shall observe the same holidays specified for the proposed design.