California’s new building codes move towards fully electric homes

The race to electrify every home in the United States has just been shaken by California. The most populous state in the country has adopted new energy codes that encourage efficient electrical appliances and heating and cooling systems, a move that could reduce the use of fossil fuels in buildings.

Codes approved by the California Energy Commission will affect all new residential construction and some businesses, including motels, doctor’s offices, retail stores, and grocery stores and restaurants, among others. Energy codes are updated on three-year cycles. In our last audit in 2018, they were updated with a mandate to include rooftop solar power on all new construction (although a mandate that was most likely to benefit the rich). New codes focus on improving energy efficiency appliances and phasing out gas hook-ups for Golden State homes.

“This is the first statewide building code across the country that strongly encourages all-electric construction,” said Denise Grab, Rocky Mountain Institute Carbonless Construction Team Leader. “In fact, that the last code there are actually some disincentives to electrify. It is a big step forward. “

The new codes encourage electrification by requiring that all new construction be ready for electricity. This means that even if a developer wants to install gas stoves, they must also install all the wiring for a home to switch to an electric or induction cooker. The code also requires better ventilation for gas appliances and the resulting indoor air pollution. It is also convenient given the global pandemic and the increasingly terrible smoke from forest fires caused by climate change. These two rules are both carrots and sticks that play in favor of electrification and against natural gas, the use of who deteriorates indoor air quality. Cities statewide have also led the charge globally for prohibit new gas connections, any further restrict use a toxic substance to heat homes and prepare meals.

“You avoid building a whole bunch of new infrastructure that can become stranded assets,” said Grab, noting that children who grow up in homes with gas stoves are up to 42% more likely to suffer from it. ‘asthma.

Perhaps the biggest tweak to the codes, however, is the inclusion of heat pumps as a benchmark standard for space and water heating. Despite their name, heat pumps can really do it all when it comes to HVAC, providing both heat and and cooling using the soil or the air outside the house to keep things comfortable inside. They can also heat water. They also run on electricity rather than fossil fuels. They are, in short, the bomb.

“Heat pumps are amazing devices,” said Grab.

Including them in the base standard means that heat pumps are considered part of the average new home in California. Manufacturers can comply with this standard either by installing heat pumps in houses or the installation of furnaces or air conditioners that emit greenhouse gases while increasing energy efficiency in other parts of the house, for example by installing windows — to stay within the guidelines of the code.

“The baseline … is a strong incentive for builders to include either a heat pump water heater or an air source heat pump for heating,” Grab said. “It’s crucial. It really, really changes the economic incentives for these manufacturers to make the switch to all-electric even more attractive. “

These code upgrades will be sent to the State Building Standards Board, which a spokesperson for the Energy Board told the New York Times has never rejected the codes approved by the energy group. Assuming they get approval, they will go into effect in 2023 to reduce the carbon footprint of new construction in California. The codes also apply to “major” renovations. California’s housing stock accounts for nearly 70% of the state’s electricity consumption and 25% of its greenhouse gas emissions. These old buildings do not fall under the code and point to an area where upgrades are needed. Grab said the new one is cheaper to build all-electric. Energy-efficient, all-electric renovations to millions of older homes in California can often be more expensive upfront, while the savings add up in the long run. For people without the economy That means it can be a huge barrier to entry, something the state will likely have to navigate to meet its climate goals.

“You need to figure out how to help people make the transition to low income people, ”Grab said. “We can do it, and we have to do it. We really need to stop burning fossil fuels. “