GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION
IN THE BUIL T ENVIRONMENT
Climate Action Subcommittee Jimmy Bliss, CBO
PED
1 PROBLEM STATEMENT
2 • The minimum energy efficiency features (in
buildings) required by the State do not fully
meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction
strategy we’ve adopted locally.
• GHG reduction in the built environment is
part of a larger City-wide strategy to meet
long-term requirements imposed by the
State.
BACKGROUND
• Previously adopted “All-Electric” code.
• Subsequent 9th circuit court case ruling pre-
empts bans on mixed-fuel solutions.
• Santa Rosa ceased enforcement of our all-
electric code.
• Staff researching new options to reach our
greenhouse gas reduction goals. 3
BACKGROUND
• Current goal (by the end of 2025) of our
City-wide GHG reduction strategy is to have
legislation in place for all types of new
construction.
• Existing infrastructure measures will need to
be considered later to obtain our long-term
(2030 and 2045) goals, but have yet to be
shown as cost-effective in our area. *
4 BACKGROUND
• GHG reductions proposed through more
efficient buildings and on-site solar/battery
solutions.
• Changes to the Energy Code require a cost-
effectiveness study.
• We used cost-effectiveness studies
conducted by other teams (state, county,
and utility companies) that include Santa
Rosa specific data.
5 ANAL YSIS
6 • Studies break down construction into
“prototype” models representative of
standard uses (Single Family Homes, Multi-
Family Homes, and Nonresidential)
• This is intentionally similar to how the
Energy Commission defines prototypes in
comparing buildings for energy compliance
standards throughout the state.
ANAL YSIS
7 • Energy code compliance shown through
computer modeling.
• This allows the designer to trade off feature
efficiencies in some areas by making up for
them with better features in another area.
ANAL YSIS
8 • Codes have historically become more
stringent with each code cycle, as the state
is pushing towards the same green house
gas and energy compliance goals that we
are locally.
• The actual increase in compliance margins
will need to be reanalyzed every code cycle
change (recent history every 3 years).
ANAL YSIS
9 • Proposed ordinance should achieve more
than 95% of the energy reductions
previously calculated for the all-electric
reach code while maintaining mixed-fuel
options of compliance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
10 • New construction designed to a higher
energy standard than the state codes.
• Encourage solar/battery installation, but do
not include a requirement to provide
solar/battery systems of sufficient size to
fully support the energy needs of buildings
(not shown as cost-effective in the studies
available.)
RECOMMENDATION
11 Residential Alterations (Single- and Multi-
Family):
• R-48 Ceiling/roof insulation at alterations
with no insulation.
• R-13 Exterior Wall Insulation at alterations
with no insulation.
QUESTIONS?
12