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Earthwatch
California Leads the Charge: Cutting Carbon Emissions in New Construction Again
by Mike DiGiovanni
In high school, my American History teacher used to say, “One person’s freedoms ended where another’s began.” You may or may not agree with this idea, but it is an interesting way of looking at the balance between liberty and justice. Merriam-Webster defines liberty as “the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges,” and justice as “the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity.” How, then, does the government provide liberty and justice for all in relation to the environment? After all, wouldn’t it be just for us to have access to clean air? Isn’t our liberty directly related to our ability to have clean water? So what is California doing to further ensure that our environmental liberty and justice is protected? Through a variety of legislative measures, California is paving the way for green building. At the top of the list right now is the endeavor to reduce greenhouse gases.
On August 1, California will implement the 2008 Title 24 Energy Standards, which technically speaking, refers to the California Building Standard. Part Six of Title 24 deals specifically with Energy Standards. Typically, when people refer to Title 24, they are speaking of the Energy Standards.
The new standards attempt to raise the bar for energy efficiency in the new construction industry. By setting standards for how we build, we can help reduce the carbon footprint of the homes we inhabit and do our part to help California achieve the initiatives set forth in Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which mandates that California must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
So how does Title 24 affect our homes and how do the 2008 Standards differ from 2005?
Let me start by giving an example as a sustainable builder who is currently building to a higher standard than the mandates call for. Under the 2005 Standards, I am surpassing the current requirements by 38 percent and under the 2008 Standards, I will be surpassing the requirements by 22 percent. What this means is that the homes I build today on average use 38 percent less energy than a 2005 standard home and will use 22 percent less energy than a 2008 standard home. So depending on how we do the math, the 2008 Standard is approximately 16 percent more stringent. It is also important to point out that a 2005 standard home is about 30 percent more efficient than the National Energy Standard and a California home built to the 2008 Standard will be 45 percent more efficient than one built to the National Standard. So we can be proud knowing that we continue to lead the way for the nation.
Now the questions arise of what affects your home’s energy consumption and how does that relate to determining how to meet or exceed standards? Below is a breakdown of the areas of energy consumption in the average home as provided by the California Energy Commission.
Appliances consume 17 percent of a home’s energy. Space Heating uses 17 percent, miscellaneous items take up 15 percent, and TV, PC and outdoor lighting combine to use 14 percent. Water heating uses 14 percent, space cooling takes up 13 percent, and last is indoor lighting at 10 percent.
Title 24 takes a somewhat holistic approach with an emphasis on cooling, space and water heating, and lighting. Items such as “fluorescent-type” lighting and/or manual-on occupancy sensors in kitchens, garages, closets, laundry rooms and bathrooms are all but mandatory. Cooling systems, space and water heating systems don’t have specific criteria per se, but how you design your systems affects your energy consumption, which then determines if you meet the standard. Of course, the more efficient the air conditioner you install, the less energy the home will consume. The same goes for heating, and since this holistic approach takes into consideration which climate zone you live in, a 16 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) air conditioning system will give you a bigger benefit if your home is in Temecula (hotter valley) versus Encinitas (cooler coastal area). Similarly, you will get a bigger benefit for installing a 90 percent efficient furnace in San Francisco, versus Palm Springs.
For the most part, this is pretty straightforward, but we have to look deeper into the space cooling and heating area to understand the finer details of why a computer model is required to verify compliance. This is also the area that has seen the most improvement in terms of really looking at the house as a system and trying to understand what aspects of constructing a house most efficiently regulate the interior temperature of a home.
The more obvious component is insulation. By increasing the R-value of insulation in the walls and attic of a house, we effectively minimize the transmission of heat into or out of the structure. Windows are another extremely important aspect in determining the energy costs of a house. Low-E glass is a great way to let natural light in and keep out infrared light, which allows unwanted heat into your home. Vinyl windows are also a great way to help with heating and cooling. Aluminum has a much higher emissivity rating, which means that in the summer, it lets a lot more heat in and during the winter, it lets a lot more heat out.
Finally, let’s discuss the less obvious factors affecting home cooling costs. Your roof system, including your attic space, is subjected to intense sun rays all day long. The newest component now taken into account is a technology called cool roof. This is a technique by which the reflecting properties of the roofing shingle or tile has been tested and shown to reflect enough of the sun’s rays so as to significantly impact the attic temperature. Think of it as the difference between walking on black pavement versus light concrete on a hot summer day at the beach. Recently the London AFP reported that U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who was speaking at a climate change symposium in London, said that making roads and roofs a paler color could have the equivalent effect of taking every car in the world off the road for 11 years.
Combine this with a radiant barrier and upgraded attic insulation and the result is significantly lower cooling and operating costs.
Keep in mind that all of these areas relate to existing home efficiency as well, but at this time there are no regulations or incentives in place for upgrading existing homes unless you are upgrading your air conditioning system or putting an addition onto your home.
If you are interested in taking a cost effective step to make your existing home more energy efficient, consider upgrading the insulation in your attic. There are also spray-applied radiant barriers and solar powered attic fans. If you are getting close to needing a new roof, ask your contractor about cool roof solutions including special-colored shingles, tiles and underlayment. If you have a larger budget, consider upgrading your air conditioning system or maybe even investing in a solar power system. In any event, ask questions, learn more and try each day to use less energy. It will save you money.
If we consider my high school American History teacher’s statement that our actions affect the liberty of others around the world—or those who will be here long after we are gone—we realize that these are small prices to pay to be a part of the solution. As builders, the just solution is to embrace the change and go beyond the expectations whenever possible. As consumers, we have endless choices. When we purchase energy efficient products and think about ways to reduce our overall energy consumption, we reflect our commitment to global environmental equality.
Mike DiGiovanni has been a negotiator, contract manager and building industry professional for 13 years. He is a Certified Purchasing Manager with the Institute for Supply Chain Management and recently championed the largest Solar-Eco $mart Residential community in California that also exceeds the 2008 Title 24 standard by more than 35 percent. Learn more at www.VisionBuildLA.com or contact him at miked@VisionBuildLA.com.