2019 Nonresidental Alternative Calculation Method Reference Manual

The California Energy Commission’s 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Nonresidential Buildings allow compliance by either a prescriptive or performance method. The performance compliance approach uses computer modeling software to trade off efficiency measures. Performance compliance is typically the most popular compliance method because of the flexibility it provides in building design. 

Compliance software must be certified by the Energy Commission, following rules established for modeling software. This document establishes the rules for the process of creating a building model, describing how the proposed design (energy use) is defined, how the standard design (energy budget) is established, and ends with what is reported on the Performance Compliance Certificate (PRF-01). This Nonresidential Alternative Calculation Method Reference Manual explains how the proposed and standard designs are determined. This document also establishes the procedure for performance calculation, necessary rule sets, reference method for testing compliance software accuracy, and the minimum reporting requirements. 

The 2019 compliance software is the simulation and compliance rule implementation software specified by the Energy Commission. The compliance manager, called California Building Energy Code Compliance (CBECC), models all energy performance features affecting compliance of a building. To describe CBECC, this manual is divided into sections which describe how components, such as a wall or window, are modeled for the proposed design and standard design. This manual also describes how these components are reported on the Performance Compliance Certificate (PRF-01) for verification by the building enforcement agency.