Proposed Design
The building is defined through entries for zones, surfaces, and equipment. Zone types include attic, conditioned space, crawl space, basements, and garages. The roof is defined as either part of the attic or part of a cathedral ceiling (also called a rafter roof). The software models surfaces separating conditioned space from exterior or unconditioned spaces (such as a garage or storage) as interior surfaces adjacent to the unconditioned zone. Exterior surfaces of an attached garage or storage space are modeled as part of the unconditioned zone.
The input file will include entries for floor areas, wall, door, roof and ceiling areas, and fenestration and skylight areas, as well as the water-heating, space-conditioning, ventilation, and distribution systems.
Each surface area is entered along with performance characteristics, including building materials, U-factor, and SHGC. The orientation and tilt (Figure 4: Surface Definitions) are required for envelope elements.
Building elements are to be consistent with the actual building design and configuration.
Standard Design
To determine the standard design for single-family residential buildings, the software creates a building with the same general characteristics (number of stories, attached garage, climate zone) and with wall and window areas distributed equally among the four cardinal directions. Envelope and HVAC performance inputs are set to the prescriptive requirements in Section 150.1(c) and Table 150.1-A for single-family residential buildings. For additions and alterations, the standard design for existing features in the existing building shall have the same wall and fenestration areas and orientations as the proposed building. The details are below.
Verification and Reporting
All inputs that are used to establish compliance requirements are reported on the CF1R for verification.
Reference Design
To determine the reference design for single-family residential buildings, a building with the same general inputs, assumptions, and algorithms as the standard design building is modeled except for the following requirements:
- Duct R-value. The duct R-value is R-8.
- Wall construction. Climate Zones 2–15 have 2x4 R-13 walls. Climate Zones 1 and 16 have 2x6 R-19 walls.
- Roof/ceiling construction. Climate Zones 2–15 have R-30 ceiling. Climate Zones 1 and 16 have R-38 ceiling. No climate zones include radiant barriers or cool roofs.
- Floor construction. Climate Zones 2–15 have 2x10 R-19 floors. Climate Zones 1 and 16 have 2x10 R-30 floors.
- Slab edge insulation. Climate Zones 1 and 16 include R-10 insulation 24 inches deep.
- Window U-factors. Climate Zones 2–15 have a U-factor of 0.65. Climate Zones 1 and 16 have a U-factor of 0.35.
- Window SHGC. All windows have 0.40 SHGC.
- Window area. When the window area is below 18 percent of the floor area, the reference design has the same area as the proposed design. Above 18 percent, the reference design has 18 percent.
- HVAC equipment efficiencies. HVAC equipment meets NAECA requirements in effect in 2006 such as 78 percent AFUE for gas central furnace, and 13 SEER for central AC.
- Water-heating efficiency. Water heating modeled as a 40-gallon storage water with a 0.594 Energy Factor (EF) if gas, or a 0.9172 EF if electric.
Figure 4: Surface Definitions
Source: California Energy Commission
Proposed Design
The user specifies the climate zone based on the zip code of the proposed building. Compliance requirements, weather, design temperatures, and TDV of energy factors are a function of the climate zone. Compliance software assumes that the ground surrounding residential buildings has a reflectivity of 20 percent in summer and winter.
Standard Design
The standard design climate zone is the same as the proposed design.
Verification and Reporting
The zip code and climate zone of the proposed design are reported on the CF1R for verification.
This input determines the appropriate federal appliance efficiency requirements for the standard design to compare with the proposed design.
Proposed Design
The user inputs Compliance 2023.
Standard Design
The standard design cooling equipment efficiency is based on the federal requirements. A minimum SEER/SEER2 and EER/EER2 (if applicable) that meet the current standard for the type of equipment are modeled.
Verification and Reporting
Compliance version is reported on the CF1R.
These inputs are used for additions and alterations. The standard design for existing conditions varies based on whether the existing conditions are verified by a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater before construction. See Section 2.10.5 Existing + Addition + Alteration Approach for more information.
Proposed Design
The user inputs either yes or no. “Yes” indicates that the existing building conditions has been, or will be, verified by a HERS Rater. The default assumption is “no.”
Standard Design
The standard design assumption is based on Section 150.2(b), Table 150.2-D. If the user input is “no,” the standard design for the existing component is based on the value in the second column (Standard Design Without Third Party Verification of Existing Conditions Shall be Based On). If the proposed design response is “yes,” the standard design value for the existing components is the value in the third column (Standard Design With Third Party Verification of Existing Conditions Shall be Based On).
Verification and Reporting
Verification of existing conditions is a special feature and is reported in the HERS-required verification listings on the CF1R.
Air leakage is a building-level characteristic. The compliance software distributes the leakage over the envelope surfaces in accordance with the building configuration and constructs a pressure flow network to simulate the airflows between the conditioned zones, unconditioned zones, and outside.
The airflow through a blower door at 50 pascals (Pa) of pressure measured in cubic feet per minute is called CFM50. CFM50 multiplied by 60 minutes, divided by the volume of conditioned space, is the air changes per hour at 50 Pa, called ACH50.
Specific data on ACH50 may be entered if the single-family home or townhouse will have verified building air leakage testing.
Proposed Design
ACH50 defaults to 5 for newly constructed buildings in single-family houses and townhomes and 7 for all other buildings that have heating and cooling system ducts, or both, outside conditioned space, and for buildings with no cooling system. In single-family homes and townhomes with no ducts in unconditioned space, the default ACH50 is 4.4 and 6.2 for all other buildings.
Specific data on ACH50 may be entered if the single-family home or townhouse will have verified building air leakage testing. User input of an ACH50 that is less than the default value becomes a special feature requiring HERS verification.
Standard Design
The standard design shall have five ACH50 for single-family homes and seven for other buildings (ducted space-conditioning).
Verification and Reporting
When the user chooses verified building air leakage testing (any value less than the standard design), diagnostic testing for reduced infiltration, with details and target values modeled in the proposed design, is reported in the HERS-required verification listing on the CF1R.
The compliance software creates an air leakage network for the proposed and standard design using the building description. Air leakage is distributed across the envelope surfaces according to the factors in Table 2: Air Leakage Distribution (Percentage of Total Leakage by Surface). The air network is insensitive to wind direction. For buildings modeled with multiple conditioned zones, either a 20-square-foot open door or 30-square-foot open stairwell (in a multistory building) is assumed between any two conditioned zones.
| Building Configuration | Ceilings | Floors | Exterior Walls | House to Garage |
| Slab on G rade | 50 | |||
| Raised Floor | 40 | 10 | ||
| No Garage | 50 | |||
| Attached Garage | 40 | 10 |
Source: California Energy Commission
The only difference between the air network for the proposed and standard designs is the ACH50 if the user specifies a value lower than the default.
The compliance software user may specify quality insulation installation (QII) for the proposed design as “yes” or “no.” The effective R-value of cavity insulation is reduced, as shown in Table 3 in buildings with no QII. When set to “no,” framed walls, ceilings, and floors are modeled with added winter heat flow between the conditioned zone and attic to represent construction cavities open to the attic. QII does not affect the performance of continuous sheathing in any construction.
Proposed Design
The compliance software user may specify compliance with QII. The default is “no” for QII.
Standard Design
The standard design is modeled with “yes” for verified QII for newly constructed single-family residential buildings and additions greater than 700 square feet in all climate zones.
Verification and Reporting
The presence of QII is reported in the HERS required verification listings on the CF1R. Verified QII is certified by the installer and field verified to comply with RA3.5. Credit for verified QII applies to ceilings/attics, knee walls, exterior walls, and exterior floors.
For alterations to existing pre-1978 construction, if the existing wall construction is assumed to have no insulation, no wall degradation is assumed for the existing wall.
| Component | Modification |
| Walls, Floors, Attic Roofs, Cathedral Ceilings | Multiply the cavity insulation R-value/inch by 0.7. |
| Ceilings Below Attic | Multiply the blown and batt insulation R-value/inch by 0.96-0.00347*R. |
| Ceilings Below Attic | Add a heat flow from the conditioned zone to the attic of 0.015 times the area of the ceiling below attic times (the conditioned zone temperature — attic temperature) whenever the attic is colder than the conditioned space. |
Source: California Energy Commission
Proposed Design
The number of bedrooms in a building is used to establish the IAQ mechanical ventilation requirements and determine if a building qualifies as a compact building for incentive programs. The number of bedrooms has a direct effect on water heating use.
Standard Design
The standard design shall have the same number of bedrooms as the proposed design.
Verification and Reporting
The number of bedrooms is reported on the CF1R for use in field verification.
The input for the building front orientation is the actual azimuth of the front of the building. This azimuth will generally be the side of the building facing the street or where the front door is located. The orientations of the other sides of a building viewed from the outside looking at the front door are called front, left, right, back, or a value relative to the front, and the compliance software calculates the actual azimuth from this input.
For homes that may be built in any orientation, such as a subdivision, multiple orientation compliance can be selected for newly constructed buildings only. When selected the software will model the building using the four cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west).
Proposed Design
The user specifies whether compliance is for multiple orientations or a site-specific orientation. For site-specific orientation, the user inputs the actual azimuth of the front in degrees from true north.
Standard Design
The compliance software constructs a standard design building that has 25 percent of the proposed model wall and window areas facing each cardinal orientation regardless of the proposed model distribution of wall and window area.
Verification and Reporting
A typical reported value would be "290 degrees." This value would indicate that the front of the building faces north 70° west in surveyors’ terms. When compliance is shown for multiple orientations, "all orientations" or “cardinal” is reported as on the CF1R, and the energy use results are reported for four orientations including north, east, south, and west.
For newly constructed single-family residential buildings, the standard design fuel type is based on the proposed design fuel type. The user specifies natural gas (if available) (see Energy Code, Section 100.1[b] for definition of Natural Gas Availability), or propane, if natural gas is not available. The user also identifies the fuel type for cooking appliances, clothes dryer, heating equipment, and water heating equipment. This specification is to establish the TDV values from Reference Appendices, Joint Appendix JA3 used by the compliance software to determine standard and proposed design energy use.
For projects with a run scope of “addition alone,” natural gas is available if a gas service line can be connected to the site without a gas main extension. Natural gas is considered available for additions or alteration projects or both if a gas service line is connected to the existing building.
Proposed Design
The user specifies either natural gas or propane.
Standard Design
The standard design assumptions for space heating are as defined in Section 2.4.1 Heating Subsystems, and those for water heating are defined in Section 2.9 Domestic Hot Water (DHW).
The user specifies whether there is an attached garage. The garage zone is modeled as an unconditioned zone (Section 2.8 Garage/Storage).
Proposed Design
The user specifies whether there is an attached unconditioned space or garage.
Standard Design
The standard design has the same assumption as the proposed design.
Verification and Reporting
Features of an attached unconditioned space that affect compliance are reported on the CF1R.
The details of the calculation assumptions for lighting loads included in Appendix E are based on the Codes and Standards Enhancement (CASE) report on plug loads and lighting (Rubin 2016, see Appendix F).
Proposed Design
Fraction of portable lighting, power adjustment multiplier, and the exterior lighting power adjustment multiplier (watts/ft2 — watts per square foot) are fixed assumptions.
Standard Design
The standard design lighting is set equal to the proposed design lighting.
Verification and Reporting
No lighting information is reported on the CF1R for compliance with Title 24, Part 6.
The details of the calculation assumptions for appliances and plug loads contained in Appendix E are based on the Codes and Standards Enhancement (CASE) report on plug loads and lighting (Rubin 2016, see Appendix F).
Proposed Design
All buildings with kitchens are assumed to have a refrigerator, dishwasher, and cooking appliance. Optionally, buildings can have a clothes washer and clothes dryer in the conditioned space. The user can select fuel type as gas or electric for the clothes dryer and cooking appliance.
Standard Design
The standard design appliances are set equal to the proposed appliances.
Verification and Reporting
No information for the appliance types listed above is reported on the CF1R for compliance with Title 24, Part 6.