Glossary of Terms
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- 15-Day Express Terms/Language
- As a countdown to code measure adoption, the California Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Lead Commissioner will hold public hearings to receive public comments on the proposed action that will be scheduled to take place 15 days from the date of the hearing. At these hearings, any person may present statements or arguments relevant to the proposed regulatory action. Only minimal changes can be made at this stage.
- 45-Day Express Terms/Language
- As a countdown to code measure adoption, the California Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Lead Commissioner will hold public hearings to receive public comments on the proposed action that will be scheduled to take place 45 days from the date of the hearing. At these hearings, which represent the first opportunity for the public to see the CEC’s proposed code language, any person may present statements or arguments relevant to the proposed regulatory action.
A
- ACM Approval Manuals
- The documents establishing the requirements for California Energy Commission (CEC) approval of Compliance Software used to demonstrate compliance with the Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential buildings currently adopted by the CEC.
- ACM Reference Manual
- The document establishing the procedures required to implement Sections 140.1 and 150.1 of Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations in Compliance Software.
- Acceptance Test Technician (ATT)
- An installation technician that is certified to perform nonresidential acceptance testing for lighting controls (Title 24, Part 6, Section 130.4) or mechanical systems (Title 24, Part 6, Section 120.5).
- Alternative Calculation Methods (ACM)
- Compliance software, alternative component packages, or exceptional methods approved by the Commission under Section 10-109. ACMs are also referred to as Performance Compliance Software.
- Alternative Component Package
- A set of building measures whose aggregate calculated energy use is less than or equal to the maximum allowed Energy Budget.
- Approved Calculation Method
- Compliance software, or alternative component packages, or exceptional methods approved under Section 10-109.
B
- Building types
- Building types include three main sectors: Nonresidential, Single Family, Multifamily.
C
- Compliance Approach
- Any one of the allowable methods by which the design and construction of a building may be demonstrated to be in compliance with Part 6. The compliance approaches are the performance compliance approach and the prescriptive compliance approach. The requirements for each compliance approach are set forth in Section 100.0(e)2 of Part 6.
- Compliance Document
- Any of the documents specified in Section 10-103(a) utilized to demonstrate compliance with Part 6 (i.e., Certificate of Compliance, Certificate of Installation, Certificate of Acceptance, and Certificate of Verification).
- Compliance Option
- A method or procedure for demonstrating compliance with Title 24, Part 6 and Part 11, Division 4.2 and 5.2 of the California Code of Regulations through modifications of approved calculation methods.
- Compliance Software
- Software that has been approved pursuant to Section 10-109 of Part 1 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, to demonstrate compliance with the performance approach of Part 6.
D
E
- Energy Code Ace
- Program funded by California utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission and implemented by three California investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison — and two publicly owned utilities — Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Sacramento Municipal Utility District — in support of the California Energy Commission. The program offers training and resources to help with compliance with the California energy code. Visit energycodeace.com.
- Energy Generation
- The production of electrical energy resources using biomass, wind, solar, and/or any other technology, or combination thereof, which produces electrical energy. The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources.
- Energy Modeling
- Information about climate, orientation, design geometry, building materials, and mechanical and electrical systems is collected and used to estimate utility bills and life cycle costs of various energy-related items such as air conditioning, lights, and hot water. In building simulations, a building is built from its component parts on a computer and a simulation is performed by taking that building through the weather conditions of an entire year.
- Envelope
- The building Envelope is the ensemble of exterior and demising partitions of a building, including doors and windows, that enclose conditioned space.
- Environmental and Social Justice (ESJ)
- The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
- Exceptional Method
- A method for estimating the energy performance of building features that cannot be adequately modeled using existing Compliance Software and that is approved by the Executive Director of the CEC.
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
- Nonresidential
- A nonresidential building is a building or structure—or part of a building or structure—not occupied in whole or in part for the purpose of human habitation, and includes the lands and premises appurtenant and all of the outbuildings, fences or erections thereon or therein. A nonresidential building is any building which is identified in the California Building Code Table; Description of Occupancy as Group A, B, E, F, H, I, M, or S, and is a U; as defined by Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code or Regulation.
O
P
- Pre-rulemaking
- The period of time before rulemaking when public comments are received and considered.
Q
R
- Renewables
- Renewables refers to energy systems derived from natural sources—like sunlight and wind—that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed.
- Rulemaking process
- A process for developing and issuing rules (rules are also referred to as “regulations”). The process can lead to the issuance of a new rule, an amendment to an existing rule, or the repeal of an existing rule. In administrative law, rulemaking is the process that executive and independent agencies use to create, or promulgate, regulations. In general, legislatures first set broad policy mandates by passing statutes, then agencies create more detailed regulations through rulemaking. Visit the California Energy Commission’s Rules and Regulations page and the Statewide CASE Team’s rulemaking timeline to learn more.
S
- Single Family
- A single family building refers to a building that is of Occupancy Group R-3, or a single independent structure that does not share common element(s) with other structures. R-3 Residential are occupancies where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature and not classified as Group R-1, R-2, R-2.1, R-4 or I, including buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units and adult care facilities that provide accommodations for six or fewer clients of any age for less than 24 hours.
- Stakeholders
- Those who have an interest in, or concern for, the activities of a project or business. Stakeholders vary depending on a wide number of factors within and outside of the construction industry. Learn more about the California Energy Commission’s opportunities for public participation.
- Statewide Codes & Standards Utilities
- The utilities involved in the Codes & Standards Program.
- Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Coordination Team
- The team that manages coordination of the overall Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Program and its subcontractors.
- Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Lead(s)
- Primary points of contact for each utility for the Title 24 process.
- Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Program
- Referring to all involved parties, the Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Program was established to present recommendations to support the California Energy Commission’s efforts to update the California Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6).
- Statewide Utility Codes & Standards Team
- Utility Codes & Standards Staff and consultants, also known as the Statewide Codes And Standards Enhancement Team (CASE).
- Storage
- The ability to capture energy at one time for use at a later time. Storage devices can save energy in many forms (e.g., chemical, kinetic, or thermal) and convert them back to useful forms of energy like electricity.
T
- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration, and sustainability within the industry.
- Time Dependent Valuation (TDV)
- The methodology used to account for the time value of energy for load and for self-generation credit. TDV is a composite measure of the actual cost of energy (for each of electricity, natural gas, and propane) to the utility, customers, and society at large. It has been crafted for evaluating energy efficiency savings based on when those savings manifest.
- Title 24
- California’s building regulations and standards are contained within Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, or CCR, published by the California Building Standards Commission. These are regulations passed by California agencies charged with enforcing the state’s various laws and requirements for builders and property owners. Title 24 includes all regulations for how buildings are designed and constructed.
- Title 24, Part 11
- Title 24, Part 11 refers to the California Green Building Standards Code and is also known as the CALGreen Code. The California Building Standards Code is published in its entirety every three years by order of the California Legislature. The California Legislature delegated authority to various State agencies, boards, commissions and departments to create building regulations to implement the State’s statutes. These building regulations or standards have the same force of law, and take effect 180 days after their publication unless otherwise stipulated. The California Building Standards Code applies to all occupancies in the State of California as annotated.
- Title 24, Part 6
- Title 24, Part 6 refers to California’s energy code. Part 6 is designed to reduce wasteful and unnecessary energy consumption in newly constructed and existing buildings. The California Energy Commission updates the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Parts 6 and 11) every three years by working with stakeholders in a public and transparent process.
U
- Utility-Sponsored Stakeholder Meetings
- Meetings that provide an opportunity for anybody who is interested to learn about the code development process, the Statewide CASE Team’s role in the advocacy effort with the CEC, provide transparency, and the specific code change proposals that the Statewide CASE Team is pursuing for the 2025 code cycle.
V
W
- White Goods
- Large household items such as cookers, washing machines, dryers, fridges, and freezers that use electricity, gas, or some other kind of fuel.
X
Y
Z
Get Email Updates
The Statewide Codes and Standards Enhancement (CASE) Team periodically distributes email notifications that promote upcoming meetings, provide materials from past meetings, and update stakeholders on the progression of the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s rulemaking process. You can choose to receive measure-specific and/or general updates on these topics depending on your needs.
