Buildings and Appliances Office

The Residential Buildings and Appliances Unit encourages high quality and cost effective energy efficient homes through outreach and regulatory programs.

Regulatory-Since energy efficiency building and appliance regulations went into effect in 1978, the Energy Commission estimates that Californians have reduced their utility bills by at least $15.8 billion. The Commission predicts that by the year 2011, residents of the state will save an additional $43 billion in energy costs.

• Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Buildings ensure that all new buildings in California meet the minimum energy requirements set in Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations. Changes to the standards occur periodically to account for improvements in conservation technologies, changes in the cost of fuels and energy-conserving strategies, and improved capabilities in analyzing building energy performance.


• Nonresidential Buildings Standards initiates, develops and operates statewide programs designed to improve the efficient use of energy in the nonresidential buildings sector. This sector includes a wide range of building types, such as high-rise office complexes, commercial retail stores, schools, hospitals, and government facilities. The multi-disciplined staff of engineers, analysts, and energy program specialists provides the technical skills needed to analyze the complex engineering, program delivery and market transformation issues affecting this sector. The staff also identify and evaluate research and development opportunities for efficiency end-use technologies. In addition, the staff respond to public inquiries regarding nonresidential energy efficiency policy issues and technical problems. Major programs include:
  
  
  • New Construction Programs - developing, maintaining, and supporting Title 24 nonresidential building efficiency standards; coordination with national organizations, including Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers, on developing national consensus standards; identifying and facilitating opportunities for market-based programs which encourage the efficient use of energy in new nonresidential buildings.
  
  
  • Efficiency Services Programs - developing and operating state-funded technical and financial assistance programs which improve the efficient use of energy in existing buildings in the public education and local government market sectors; identifying and facilitating opportunities for market-based programs which encourage the efficient use of energy in existing nonresidential buildings.
  
  


• Appliance Efficiency Standards assure consumers that any appliance they purchase in California meets a minimum level of efficiency. The Energy Commission's appliance database, the most comprehensive collection of appliance efficiency data in one place, contains more than 148,000 appliance models that meet either state or federal efficiency levels.

Outreach - Helping California consumers make economically efficient and informed energy choices is a goal of the Residential Buildings and Appliance Office. Ongoing outreach Programs.

• Let homeowners know that energy efficiency helps provide them with healthy, comfortable and safe homes with more affordable energy bills.


• Help the building and remodeling industry see an increase in sales, more and higher valued loans, satisfied customers, and reduced liability.