Atherton City Council
January 17, 2024

© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Atherton City Council Meeting
Encouraging Electrification through a
Source Energy Reach Code
January 17, 2024
TRCcompanies.com
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Today’s Objective
 Discuss reach code approaches to encourage building electrification  Provide staff direction regarding potential reach code pathways

1. Background of Reach Codes

2. Source Energy Compliance Path

3. Overview of Options for New Construction

4. Opportunities for Existing Buildings

5. Wrap Up / Questions
Agenda
Featured photo: Located in Portola Valley, Tah Mah Lah, was recognized by PCE for being Zero Net Energy – all-electric estate and vehicles are fueled by both on-site solar and geothermal sources of energy. © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Background
3 © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 4
Atherton’s Building Electrification Journey
Jan 2024
City Council
adopts the 2023
Update to the
Town’s Climate
Action Plan
charting a path
to a carbon
neutral future by
2045.

The Plan outlines
strategies to
encourage
building
electrification
through a variety
of strategies
including policy,
education, and
incentives.

Oct 2023
Atherton
suspends
enforcement of
the City’s allelectric new
building
requirements
May 2023
The City of
Berkeley filed an
appeal.

The appeal is not
likely to be
resolved in a
timely manner.

There are no
imminent
statewide fixes
for the problem.

May 2023
California Restaurant
Association v. City
of Berkeley ruling
said that a
Berkeley ordinance
requiring all-electric
buildings was preempted by the
federal Energy
Policy and
Conservation Act of
1975 (EPCA) and
was therefore
invalid.

April 2023
Atherton adopts
an all-electric
new building
reach code
through
Ordinance 656
Nov 2022
The Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals
declined to have the
Berkeley case reheard by the full panel
of Ninth Circuit Court
judges.

Staff recommends
amending Ordinance
656 to remove
electrification
requirements to bring
the Ordinance in line
with the Ninth Circuit
ruling.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 5
The Bay Area and California’s
Upcoming Electrification Changes
California
Achieves
Carbon
Neutrality
Statewide gas piping
projected
decommissioning
date
2045
CARB Low NOx
Standards
Gas water heaters and
space heaters no
longer sold,
statewide
2030
BAAQMD Low
NOx space
heater
requirements
Gas furnaces no
longer sold in Bay
Area
2029
BAAQMD Low
NOx water
heater
requirements
tank-type gas water
heaters no longer
sold in Bay Area
2027
CA State Energy
Code Update
Replacements of air
conditioning systems
in existing buildings
will be heat pumps
2026
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 6
Overview of Reach Codes
California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Efficiency Standards) & California Green Building Standards
(CALGreen)
• Set by the California Energy Commission (CEC) .
• Increase energy conservation and reduce energy costs in buildings • Adopted every three years.

Building Reach Code
• Increases building code requirements above the current Efficiency Standards.
• Can be adopted at any time.
• Must meet CEC’s cost effectiveness standards.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 7
Benefits of Reach Codes

1. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line
with the Town’s Climate Act Plan;

2. Providing financial benefits related to lowercost electric construction;

3. Supporting public health by decreasing air
pollution emissions and exposure.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 8
Filing Process for Energy Reach Codes

CEC & CBSC
Attachments CEC CBSC
1: Cover letter Recommended Required
2: Staff report Required Required
3: Signed Ordinance Required Required
4: Copy of cost effectiveness studies Required -
5: Notice of Exemption from the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Required -
6: Letter from Chief Building official Required -
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Source Energy
Compliance Path
How Compliance Works
9 © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 10
Summary of Approach
Homeowner/Developer
(New construction)
All-Electric Mixed-Fuel
(Methane Gas and Electric)
Electric space and water heating.

No additional measures required.

Gas space and/or water heating.

Increased efficiency, solar, and
battery storage are required.

Dream home supportive of health, safety, & climate!
Compliant with Title 24, Part 6
and reach code.

Compliant with Title 24, Part 6
and reach code.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 11
Approaches to Compliance
Performance Path: Current
 In order to pass, a score of “0” or higher is required on all of the three EDR Compliance Margins. © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 12
Approaches to Compliance
Performance Path: Source Energy
9  In order to pass, a score of 9 or higher is required for the EDR1 Compliance Margin.  EDR2efficiency & EDR2total do not change and still must achieve a score of “0” or higher to pass. © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Regulated Appliances
What’s included
 Space heating
 Water heating
What’s not included
 Stoves
 Laundry
 Pools
 Fireplace/pit
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 14
Electric Readiness for Single Family New Construction
• Heat pump space heater
• Heat pump water heater
• Electric cooktop
• Electric clothes dryer
• For future installation, these require:
• Dedicated wiring installed within 3 ft of the gas-fired appliance. • Reserved electrical breaker space provided for the future installation of these systems and appliances. • A heat pump water heater also requires:
• Space large enough to install it • Plumbing for a condensate drain and hot and cold water.
 There is an opportunity to require electric readiness for pools for new construction
Energy Code Existing Requirements
Source: Energy Code Ace
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Single Family
New Construction
15 © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Gas Furnace
Standard
Design
Building
Building
Envelope
House Illustration source: Southern California Edison 14 Example 1
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Building
Envelope
House Illustration source: Southern California Edison 15 Source
Energy
(EDR1)
One Option:

Change Gas
Furnace to a
Heat Pump
Example 1
Fuel Type:

Electric
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Gas Furnace Building
Envelope
House Illustration source: Southern California Edison 16 Standard
Design
Building
Example 2
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Gas Furnace Building
Envelope
House Illustration source: Southern California Edison 17 Another Option:

Keep Gas Furnace
and add a Battery
Storage System
Source
Energy
(EDR1)
Example 2
Fuel Type:

Mixed
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 20
Approaches to Compliance
Performance Path: Source Energy
4  In order to pass, a score of 4 or higher is required for ADU’s in the EDR1 Compliance Margin.  EDR2efficiency & EDR2total do not change and still must achieve a score of “0” or higher to pass. © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 21
ADU Considerations
 ADU definition
− New construction, detached ADU’s
− Atherton’s current ADU size requirement is 800sqft to 1200 sqft
 ADUs can be included in the requirement
 ADUs would be covered at a lower Source
Energy Compliance requirement as compared to
Single Family homes.
 ADUs need a lower margin because:
− The smaller floor area affects the modeling results;
for example, ADUs won’t have an on-site PV system.
− Having the same EDR1 margin for SF and ADUs
would add undue baggage to smaller homes.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Existing Building
Code Options
22 © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 23
Existing Building Electrification Policy Approach
Time of Permit Reach Code policies require that
applicants, when they are already pulling a permit for a renovation project, abide by certain electric-ready
requirements.

These policies avoid missed opportunities to incorporate electric readiness at little additional cost. These
requirements can help avoid retrofit costs once
BAAQMD and CARB standards take effect.

Electric readiness does not mandate a specific
appliance/fuel be used. These existing building
requirements would build on new construction electric
readiness requirements from Title 24, Part 6.
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 24
Time of Permit - Electric-Readiness Reach Code
An exception could be offered for situations where as a result of these requirements, an increase in capacity for an electrical panel, feeders, transformer, or electrical service (that is not part of the appliance upgrade scope) is needed.

Retrofit Category Details
Heating, Ventilation
and Air Conditioning
For alterations and additions that include an HVAC system, the Town could require an outlet for a future electric heat pump.

Water heating For alterations and additions that include a water heating system, the Town could require an outlet for a future water heater heat pump.

Pool and Spas For alterations and additions that include pool or spa equipment, the Town could require an outlet for a future electric pool pump.

Installing 240V outlet
when renovating the
following areas:

Laundry room (an outlet for a future electric clothes dryer) Kitchen (an outlet for future electric oven/stove)
Panel When planning an electrical panel replacement and electrical panel upgrade, the Town could require the electrical panel to include panel capacity and breaker space for future electrification of building systems.

Photos: Energy Code Ace
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 25
Example Code Language
Based on San Mateo Ordinance
 4.106.5.3 Existing one- and two-family dwellings.
− 4.106.5.3.1 Alterations and additions that include space heating appliances shall have a 240 volt, 30 ampere circuit and receptacle installed within 6 feet of appliance location.
− 4.106.5.3.2 Domestic water heater appliance alterations and additions shall have a 240 volt, 30 ampere circuit and receptacle installed within 6 feet of appliance location. Water heater appliance upgrades for pools and spas shall have a 240 volt, 50 ampere circuit and receptable installed within 6 feet of the appliance location.
− 4.106.5.3.3 Kitchen alterations shall include a 240v, 50 ampere circuit and receptacle installed within 6 feet of the cooktop, oven, and/or range location.
− 4.106.5.3.4 Alterations to areas designated for the installation of laundry equipment shall include a 240v, 30 ampere circuit and receptacle installed within 6 feet of clothes drying appliance location. − 4.106.5.3.5 Alterations or additions that include or require an increase to the capacity of electrical panels or transformers as part of the scope shall include reserved physical space for circuit breakers on the electrical panel, and reserved electrical capacity on transformers, as calculated per California Electric Code Section 220 for the following current or proposed appliances as applicable to the project site:
̵ Electric water heaters meeting the requirements of the California Energy Code. ̵ Electric space heater and air-conditioner meeting the requirements of the California Energy Code. ̵ Electric pool and/or spa water heater.
̵ Electric clothes dryer.
̵ Electric cooking equipment.
̵ Electric vehicle charger.
̵ Solar photovoltaic array
Green font indicates modified for Atherton Source: San Mateo © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Summary
Opportunities to Encourage Building Electrification
26 © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 27
Menu of Options
 Adopt Source Energy Compliance, giving builders a choice between mixed fuel or all-electric building − Mixed fuel buildings will need to do additional energy measures to pass modeling including increased efficiency, solar, and battery storage
− All-electric buildings will pass modeling with code minimums for efficiency and solar (with a market-baseline heat pump water heater)
 Adopt Electric Readiness Requirements for New Construction (where readiness is not already required by the State code):
− Pools
 Adopt Electric Readiness Requirements for Remodels, Additions, Renovations, and Equipment Replacements − Pools
− Laundry Room
− Kitchen
− HVAC
− Water Heating
− [If already upgrading] Panel Capacity for future electrification © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 28
Recommendation
 It is recommended that the Council consider the options of energy reach codes and give guidance to either move forward with presenting a first reading of approaches heard today at a future meeting, modifications to approaches, further study, or taking no action.

It is recommended that the Council consider various options in support of energy reach codes and provide feedback and direction to staff for the next steps. © TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 29
Email Us:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Thanks!
© TRC Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 30