5.2 Project Data

5.2.1 General Information

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

Building Location
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 optional 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; 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

Envelope Designer
Applicability	All projects
Definition	Person 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 optional for the proposed design
Standard Design	Not applicable

Mechanical Designer
Applicability	All projects
Definition	Person responsible for the mechanical design; 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

Lighting Designer
Applicability	All projects
Definition	Person responsible for the lighting design; 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

Documentation Author
Applicability	All projects
Definition	Person responsible for inputting building information and performing the compliance analysis; 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

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 optional 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: NewComplete: new construction project NewEnvelope: new construction, partial compliance with envelope NewEnvelopeAndLighting: new construction, partial compliance with envelope and lighting NewEnvelopeAndPartialLighting: new construction, partial compliance with envelope and lighting compliance for some spaces NewEnvelopeAndMechanical: new construction, partial compliance with mechanical and envelope only NewMechanical: new construction, partial compliance with mechanical. This is the complement of a partial compliance with envelope and lighting, which should have already been performed. NewMechanicalAndLighting: new construction, partial compliance with mechanical and lighting only. The building should have already passed an Envelope Only partial compliance. NewMechanicalAndPartialLighting: new construction, partial compliance with mechanical and lighting compliance for some spaces. The building should have already passed an Envelope Only partial compliance. ExistingAlteration: alteration project ExistingAdditionAndAlteration: project with both additions and alterations AdditionComplete: an addition modeled alone AdditionEnvelope: an existing building with partial envelope compliance for a new addition AdditionEnvelopeAndLighting: an existing building with partial envelope and lighting compliance for a new addition AdditionEnvelopeAndPartialLighting: an addition to an existing building that includes the building envelope and lighting for some of the spaces. For the spaces with lighting defined in the proposed design, the space function type must be defined as well. For undefined spaces, the lighting status is “future” and both the proposed design and standard design are set to match the prescriptive lighting power limits. AdditionEnvelopeAndMechanical: an addition modeled with as-designed envelope and mechanical components, but the interior lighting design has not yet been defined. For this option, interior lighting must comply prescriptively. AdditionMechanical: an addition modeled with the as-designed mechanical system, including any plant, system or zone level equipment, as well as ventilation. For this option, all envelope and lighting components are modeled as defined by the user in both the proposed design and baseline designs. AdditionMechanicalAndLighting: an addition modeled with as designed mechanical and lighting equipment. In this design, all building envelope components in the standard design are set to match those in the proposed design, since the envelope is assumed to have complied via a separate permit. AdditionMechanicalAndPartialLighting: an addition modeled with as designed mechanical equipment and with lighting systems defined for part of the building. This model is the complement to the
Input Restrictions	As designed
Standard Design	Same as proposed

5.2.2 Existing Building Classification

Existing Building Number of Stories
Applicability	Additions and alterations
Definition	Total number of stories of the building (For information and reporting purposes only)
Units	Integer
Input Restrictions	As designed
Standard Design	Not applicable
Existing Buildings	Not applicable

Existing Building Floor Area
Applicability	Additions and alterations
Definition	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
Existing Buildings	Not applicable

5.2.3 Partial Compliance Model Input Classification

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 Mechanical Only: This compliance option assumes that the building will use separately permitted prescriptive lighting compliance. The user specifies the building envelope, spaces, space types, thermal zones, and mechanical systems in the building. For all lighting inputs, the proposed design values are prescribed and follow the rules for the standard design.

4) 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.

5) 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.

6) 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.

7) 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.

8) Envelope and Partial Mechanical: For projects where mechanical systems are not defined for all thermal zones. When the “HVAC is Unknown” checkbox is enabled at the thermal zone, the proposed mechanical system for that zone will be defaulted to match the standard design. Possible uses for this compliance option include “core and shell” projects and existing/addition/alteration projects with unknown existing mechanical equipment.

Building descriptors with inputs for both the proposed design and standard design that are restricted to prescribed values (for example, equipment performance curves) follow the same rules for prescribed values for any of the partial compliance projects listed above.

5.2.4 Building Model Classification

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 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 area category method. The Area Category method uses a separate space classification for each space in the building according to its function.
Units	List (See Appendix 5.4)
Input Restrictions	For multiuse buildings, the building may be divided and a different building classification may be assigned to each part.
Standard Design	Same as proposed

5.2.5 Geographic and Climate Data

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 (see Appendix 5.4)
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 (see Reference Appendix JA2)
Input Restrictions	None
Standard Design	Same as proposed

City
Applicability	All projects
Definition	The city where the project is located
Units	Alphanumeric string
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: 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, eaily 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.

Ground Reflectance
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 (α)	Boundary layer thickness, δ (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:

The wind speed profile coefficients

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

5.2.6 Site Characteristics

Shading of Building Site
Applicability	All projects
Definition	Shading of building fenestration, roofs, or walls by 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. Building self-shading is accounted for using the detailed geometry method.
Standard Design	The proposed design and standard design are modeled with identical assumptions regarding shading of the building site.

Site Fuel Source
Applicability	All projects
Definition	The fuel source that is available at the site for water heating, space heating or other fuel purposes. For most buildings connected to a utility service, this will be natural gas.
Units	List
Input Restrictions	The following choices are available: Natural Gas Propane
Standard Design	Natural gas

5.2.7 Calendar

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 preceding 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.