Staff Analysis of Proposed Efficiency Standards for Landscape Irrigation Controllers: 2023 Appliance Efficiency Pre-Rulemaking Docket Number 17-AAER-10

Assembly Bill 1928 (Campos, Chapter 326, Statutes of 2016) requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to adopt performance standards and labeling requirements for landscape irrigation equipment.

This staff report focuses on landscape irrigation controllers, a component of landscape irrigation systems. The water consumption of landscape irrigation controllers varies greatly, depending upon how the controller decides to apply water to a landscape. To date, no federal or state regulations mandate cost-effective, readily available technologies to improve the performance of less efficient models.

This report proposes an addition to the Appliance Efficiency Regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Sections 1601 to 1609). CEC staff analyzed the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of proposed water efficiency standards for landscape irrigation controllers. The statewide water and energy (electricity) use and savings and other related environmental impacts and benefits are included in this analysis.

The proposed updates to Title 20 would set test methods and performance standards for landscape irrigation controllers. The update will require all landscape irrigation controllers to adjust irrigation schedules to maintain an adequate soil moisture balance in response to weather or soil moisture conditions.

The proposed standard is cost-effective, technically feasible, and would save about 4 billion gallons of water and 14 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity for the first year the standard is in effect and about 60 billion gallons per year and 213 GWh of electricity at full stock turnover. Consumers will save about $915 per landscape irrigation controller over the life of the device through reduced water use.