CEC Adopts Updated Building Standards
The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently adopted the 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code) for newly constructed and renovated buildings that will produce benefits to support the state’s public health, climate, and clean energy goals.
As the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, the CEC adopts standards every three years to cost-effectively increase the energy efficiency and lower the carbon footprint of buildings. Homes and businesses use nearly 70% of California’s electricity and are responsible for one-quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The 2022 update will be submitted to the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC), which is scheduled to consider it in December 2021. If approved by the CBSC, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, giving builders, contractors, and other interested parties a year to gear up for the changes.
The 2022 Energy Code focuses on four key areas in newly constructed homes and businesses:
- Encouraging electric heat pump technology for space and water heating, which consumes less energy and produces fewer emissions than gas-powered units.
- Establishing electric-ready requirements for single-family homes to position owners to use cleaner electric heating, cooking, and electric vehicle (EV) charging options whenever they choose to adopt those technologies.
- Expanding solar photovoltaic (PV) system and battery storage standards to make clean energy available onsite and complement the state’s progress toward a 100 percent clean electricity grid.
- Strengthening ventilation standards to improve indoor air quality.
Each updated code guides the construction of buildings to better withstand extreme weather, lower energy costs, and reduce climate and air pollution.
Over the next 30 years, the 2022 Energy Code is estimated to provide $1.5 billion in consumer benefits and reduce 10 million metric tons of GHGs, equivalent to taking nearly 2.2 million cars off the road for a year. Expanded adoption of new energy-efficient technologies will help reduce costs of the technology over time.
For more information, visit www.energy.ca.gov.
