Page 7 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes-Volume 2

FOREWORD ZERO NET ENERGY CASE STUDY HOMES
The case of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (BEES) – Title 24, Part 6 – is in- structive for readers of this volume. The BEES set the minimum bar for the energy performance of a new building; indeed Californians have saved roughly one hundred billion dollars since the mid-1970s as a direct result of the standards. Less appreciated is the BEES’ role in driving innovation. Once a particular efficient practice or technology has shown itself to be robust and cost-effective, it is a candidate for inclusion in the mandatory code. Costs then plummet further with the scale that a mandate guarantees.
Think about dual-pane windows. In the late 1970s and 1980s federal, state, utility and industry research and product development found great potential for energy savings from improved windows. Standardized performance metrics and testing protocols were developed to help en- sure quality and consistency, and a non-profit entity – the National Fenestration Rating Council – was established, with guidance from the CEC, to manage testing and labeling. Researchers and manufacturers worked continuously on efficiency-oriented enhancements such as low-e coatings and gas fills. At that time a radical leap forward, dual-pane windows are now pervasive not just in California but across the nation and beyond, inexpensive and responsible for im- mense energy savings and emissions reductions over the last three decades.
Window innovation continues with the development of light, slim triple-pane windows that lever- age thin-glass manufacturing technology developed for flat-screens. This advance will unlock still more cost-effective energy savings, not only in new construction but also – critically impor- tant – as a workable retrofit option for existing buildings.
Other measures that were developed collaboratively and recently required by code include ad- vanced wall and attic assemblies; best practices for HVAC ducting; compact hot-water plumbing designs; quality verification of insulation installation (QII); and solar PV systems. Increasingly the BEES have recognized that investing in a quality building shell saves energy and increases occupant comfort over the 50+-year lifetime of any residential building.
Going Well Beyond Code
By definition, a minimum standard cannot be truly cutting-edge. To go beyond code requires some risk to design, specify, purchase, install, monitor and prove out new technologies and practices. Curious and energy-conscious homeowners are essential, together with California’s deep bench of knowledgeable architects, designers, builders, researchers, and technologists. Local governments can adopt stretch codes. Ratepayer-funded incentive programs also help. These cutting-edge, beyond-code efforts produce learning and options to consider for the next triennial BEES Update. In this way, building codes both respond to and push the marketplace, in a virtuous cycle of innovation. Call it the California way.
The buildings detailed in this volume go far beyond minimum code requirements. All the case studies are special and instructive. I myself find particular inspiration in the Stratton-Lee home (Case Study #8), and I suspect that other DIY’ers will as well! The Stratton-Lee family turned an existing, 1950s-era production home into a comfortable, high-performing home with a small environmental footprint – just what California needs to reach our climate and energy goals. It’s a story of vision, dedication, problem solving, frugality and family. Their experience will no doubt embolden many to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
California has set ambitious goals to double energy efficiency and decarbonize our entire econ- omy by 2045. Residential and commercial buildings are directly responsible for 37% of energy consumption and around 20% of the GHG emissions in California. Going forward, every new construction and building upgrade project should incorporate efficient, integrated system design and equipment. Every appliance should minimize wasted energy. If we are to reach our energy and emissions targets, our buildings must perform!
Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes: Volume 2 v