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AB758 Proposed Program Delivery

Phase 1: Infrastructure Development &Amp;Implementation Plan (2010-2012)

This phase will include the development of the infrastructure that will be needed to develop and advance the tools, protocols and workforce to conduct best practice building energy assessments and retrofits. Program piloting will occur during this phase, with a combination of federal American Recover and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, and public and private funds. The AB 758 Implementation Plan will also be developed during Phase 1. The Energy Commission will incorporate lessons learned from the ARRA pilots; will design a needs assessment study, and will hold public workshops expected to begin during the second quarter of 2011 to solicit public input into and inform the scope of the Implementation Plan, which will guide the development of the AB 758 program.

ARRA AB 758 Pilots (2010 - 2012)

The Legislature directed the Energy Commission to use ARRA funds for the development and implementation of the AB 758 comprehensive program. ARRA funded residential and commercial building retrofit programs are currently being launched in nearly every county in the state. These pilot programs will build the necessary infrastructure and workforce, will serve as test beds, and will be foundational in the development of AB 758 regulations. The Energy Commission will build the most successful aspects of these programs into the AB 758 comprehensive program, modifying and refining them over time, and designing regulatory and marketbased programs that will maintain and expand the momentum of these programs:

  • Comprehensive Residential Retrofit programs
  • Commercial/Municipal Targeted Measures Retrofit programs
  • PACE Financing pilots
  • Public Awareness, Marketing & Outreach Efforts

 

Energy Upgrade California™

Energy Upgrade California™ is an alliance among California counties, cities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, the state's investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, and San Diego Gas & Electric®), and publicly owned utilities.

The goals of this statewide effort are four-fold:

  • Help residential and commercial consumers and the building industry become knowledgeable about the many energy and water efficiency programs and financing options that will be available during the next several years including the State Energy Programs, utility home upgrade programs, local rebates, appliance and renewable energy rebates, and energy financing programs.
  • Provide a consistent and clear message regarding how consumers can choose the best energy-efficient measures and the right contractors to provide those services.
  • Drive consumers and contractors to a central resource that provides educational information that links all the state energy efficiency upgrade, rebates, and incentive programs.
  • Educate the building trades and home improvement industry on jobs, training, and required certifications.

Home Energy Rating System (HERS II) Program
Integration (2010 - 2012)

The Energy Commission’s HERS Phase II regulations provide standards for the completion of HERS whole-house home energy ratings, labeling and energy audits. Approaches will need to be developed to disclose ratings and building labels at point-of-sale, and assure that other AB 758 requirements are met. Additionally, the HERS II regulations will be assessed and updated as the AB 758 program develops and over time as issues are identified and new measures and technologies come into the forefront. Integration (2010 - 2012)

Commercial Building Energy Asset Rating System (BEARS) Development (2011 - 2012)

The development of a commercial building counterpart to the HERS program fulfills the AB 758 requirement for development of a system of energy assessments, ratings and building labeling for nonresidential buildings, and will be the Energy Commission’s first order of business. The tool will need to address the diversity and complexity of the commercial building sector. This effort will build upon recent collaboration between the Energy Commission and national experts to develop nonresidential rating and building labeling tools and programs, and will include both operational ratings/building benchmarking (energy consumption as compared to similar buildings); and asset ratings (energy efficiency of physical characteristics, or assets, of the building).

Clean Energy Workforce Training (CEWT) Program
(2010 - 2012)

ARRA funds will be used to develop and offset the costs of curricula development, best practices training programs, and on-the-job training of a variety of jobs in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable building practices and other clean energy careers. Much of the funding will be used to train the workforce necessary to deliver quality installations of energy efficiency in California’s existing residential and nonresidential buildings, as will be required by AB 758 regulations

AB 1103 Commercial Building Energy Use
Disclosure Regulations (2009 - 2011)

AB 1103 (2007, Saldaña) mandated that nonresidential building owners disclose benchmarking and energy use
data to prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders. Commercial Building Energy Use Disclosure regulations are currently in the rulemaking process and are expected to become effective in 2011.