There are significant technical and structural changes that are part of the 2022 Title 24 changes making compliance more challenging than in previous revisions of the code.
This post serves as a brief summary of these changes and a "branching off" point to several follow-up blog posts which are intended to provide more detail within the scope of each area.
These changes are effective January 1, 2023. Any projects that apply for a permit on or after this date will be subject to the 2022 standards.
Reminder: Mandatory v. Prescriptive v. Performance
Mandatory Measures
These measures are required regardless of the compliance approach used.
Prescriptive Measures
These measures are required when using the prescriptive compliance approach.
Performance Measures
These are optional features accounted for when doing performance-based computer modeling.
The most common type of compliance approach taken is performance-based computer modeling. However, the standards that are set forth in prescriptive measures inform the standard designs which are utilized in performance measures. Therefore, a more stringent set of prescriptive measures will make it more challenging to comply with either a prescriptive or performance approach.
Energy Efficiency Ratings
As was done with the 2019 energy code, the energy efficiency ratings for new construction have again changed as noted in the table below with the addition of the EDRs rating for new construction.
Energy Code | New Construction | Additions | Alterations |
2016 | TDV | TDV | TDV |
2019 | EDRe, EDRt | TDV | TDV |
2022 | EDRs, EDRe, EDRt | TDV | TDV |
Energy Efficiency Rating Definitions
Time-Dependent Valuation (TDV)
TDV energy is the time-varying energy used by the building to provide space conditioning, water heating, and specified building lighting. It accounts for the energy used at the building site and consumed in producing and delivering energy to a site, including, but not limited to, power generation, transmission, and distribution losses.
Energy Design Rating (EDR)
EDR is an alternative way to express the energy performance of a home using a scoring system where:
A score of 100 represents the energy performance of a reference design building meeting the envelope requirements of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
A score of 0 represents the energy consumption of a building that has zero net energy (ZNE) consumption.
The lower the score the better. There are three types of EDR ratings namely EDRe, EDRt, and EDRs.
EDRe
EDRe is the "efficiency" EDR metric which includes energy used by the envelope, IAQ, HVAC, DHW, and unregulated loads.
EDRt
EDRt is the "total" EDR metric which also factors in photovoltaic energy and flexibility.
EDRs
New as part of the 2022 Title 24 code, EDRs is a separate EDR metric based on the "hourly source energy" which establishes a "carbon-proxy" analysis of the building in kBTU/sf-yr units to support decarbonization and electrification policy goals.
Commentary
In 2016, all energy efficiency ratings were on a TDV basis.
In 2019, new construction moved to an EDR basis whereby a building only complied if both the EDRe and the EDRt scores were met (meaning that each proposed design score is lower or equal to the standard design score).
In 2022, new construction now adds the EDRs metric. Now, a building only complies if all three scores (EDRs, EDRe, EDRt) are met (meaning that each proposed design score is lower or equal to the standard design score).
Building Type Reorganization
There have been significant structural changes to the 2022 energy code with respect to residential building types. In general, there are three types of residential building types:
Single-family Buildings
Low-rise Residential
High-rise Residential
In the 2019 energy code, the low-rise residential section of the code is used to cover both single-family Buildings and low-rise Residential buildings. High-rise residential buildings are covered under the nonresidential and hotel/motel sections on the nonresidential Title 24 code.
In the 2022 energy code, the various residential building types have been split into two new sections:
Single-family Buildings (Sections 150.0 - 150.1)
Mandatory Measures: Sections 110.0 - 110.10 and 150.0
Prescriptive Measures: Sections 150.1(a) and (c)
Performance Measures: Sections 150.1(a) and (b)
Multifamily Buildings (Sections 160.0 - 180.4)
Covers both Low-rise Residential and High-rise Residential buildings.
Mandatory Measures: Sections 110.0 - 110.10 and 160.0
Prescriptive Measures: Sections 170.2(a - f)
Performance Measures: Sections 170.1
The section formerly titled "low-rise Residential" in the 2019 Title 24 code is very similar to the new Single-family Buildings section in the 2022 Title 24 code.
Low-rise Residential multifamily buildings, which were previously covered in the "low-rise Residential" section of the 2019 Title 24 code, are now covered in the Multifamily Buildings. The requirements for these buildings are now very similar to nonresidential and high-rise residential.
Follow-up Posts
The following posts go into more detail about the changes surrounding the 2022 Title 24 Changes. Links will be updated as the posts are written.
C&S Energy Pro is committed to getting a fast turnaround on your Title 24 documents which will help ensure construction projects are completed on time and that consumers will be able to move into their homes quicker. Avoid the hassle of long wait times generally associated with Title 24 documentation and call us today!