Standards Education and Training Program as a Resource Program

Panel: Energy and Environmental Policy: Planning for Greater Impacts

Authors:
Patrick Eilert, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Charles Segerstrom, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Gary Fernstrom, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Stephanie Stern, Energy Solutions
Yanda Zhang, Heschong Mahone Group, Inc.
Misti Bruceri, Misti Bruceri and Associates

Abstract

Codes and standards compliance enhancement is emerging as a compelling resource program strategy that provides significant low-cost energy savings. Since 2001, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has adopted numerous changes to California's Building Code (Title 24) and Appliance Efficiency Standards (Title 20), both advancing existing standards and significantly increasing the scope of California's regulations. This widened scope has created a critical need to support stakeholders, to make sure they are aware of code changes and understand their role in compliance. A new Standards Education and Training (SE&T) program responds to this need.

SE&T is aimed at practitioners responsible for interpreting regulations, such as building designers, contractors, manufacturers and distributors, as well as the code officials responsible for enforcement. For Title 24, SE&T strategically focuses on individual measures, rather than attempting to increase compliance as a whole - a problem too complex to tackle at once. SE&T targets a handful of measures representing the majority of potential energy savings. For Title 20, SE&T provides educational outreach to manufacturers and product sellers in California. To our knowledge, this is the first program targeted to improve compliance with appliance standards.

This paper presents an overview of SE&T program theory, linking the activities to increases in the compliance rate and associated energy savings. This program may serve as a model for other energy efficiency advocates as changes in the administration and legislation may result in similar opportunities nationally and for other states that have adopted measures from California's standards.