California Title 20 & 24 Explained

New standards have been implemented into the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standard, is designed to reduce wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary energy consumption. This means that buildings will reduce the cost of energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. The standard is required to be adapted every 3 years to ensure they consider and incorporate new energy-efficient technologies and construction methods. These Standards are adopted into the California Code of Regulations, specifically to Title 24, Part 6. They apply to newly constructed residential, single-family buildings, homes, multi-family buildings, and alterations to existing buildings. The buildings and homes that are built under the 2019 Standards will use 7% less energy than those built under the 2016 standards. The cost of a new home that is built under the 2019 standards will increase by about $9,500. However, it will save around $19,000 in energy and maintenance costs over 30 years. Based on a 30-year mortgage, the CEC estimates that the standards will add about $40 per month. Nonetheless, it will save consumers $80 per month on heating, cooling, and lighting bills. The 2019 Standards require solar photovoltaic systems for new homes. This will help to meet the home’s expected annual electric needs. On average, it will reduce LPDs by 28%. This might not have a substantial impact on the way lighting systems are designed. However, it will affect the overall energy consumption of the buildings. It will also regulate healthcare facilities, including hospitals, due to the massive potential for energy savings with their continuous operations and high-energy consumption. Title 24 and Title 20 are two different requirement standards that apply to two different aspects. However, they complement each other. Title 24 applies to the way a building is constructed and controlled, and Title 20 is a product-specific standard. On January 1, 2020, the new requirements went into effect involving the following. It requires lighting fixtures to have higher efficacy and CRI, meaning that they provide more light with less energy usage. Title 20 requires General Service Lamps to have a minimum efficacy of 45LPW, a minimum of 80 CRI for non-modified spectrum or 75 for modified spectrum lamps, and a minimum rated life of 1,000 hours. State-regulated Small Diameter Directional Lamps (SDDL) require a minimum efficacy of 80LPW or a minimum efficacy of 70LPW, and a minimum compliance score of 165 with a minimum rated life of 25,000 hours; as for State-regulated LED Lamps (SLED) a minimum efficacy of 80LPW, a minimum compliance score of 297, a minimum rated life of 10,000 hours, and a standby power of 0.2 watts. Title 24 is a set of codes that has a significant impact on lighting and lighting controls used in a building or space. Title 24 applies to you if you are modifying, moving, replacing, or disconnecting and reconnecting at least 10% or 40 light fixtures in a room and you are pulling a permit for your project. For more information visit the California Energy Commission website https://www.energy.ca.gov/