BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1918
Page A
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1918 (Williams)
As Amended April 24, 2014
Majority vote
UTILITIES & COMMERCE 10-3
APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Bradford, Buchanan, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Ch�vez, Fong, Garcia, | |Bradford, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, Mullin, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Quirk, Rendon, Skinner | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Patterson, Dahle, Jones |Nays:|Bigelow, Donnelly, Jones, |
| | | |Linder, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to
establish an incentive program for contractors and local
governments to improve the process of verifying newly installed
heating and air cooling (HVAC) systems that comply with building
code requirements. The incentives may include the following:
1)Funding for training for HVAC installers, local government
building officials, contractors, builders and school building
inspectors.
2)Technical and financial support to establish compliance
verification protocols.
3)Financial or other support for local agencies to improve
permitting.
This bill also requires the California Energy Commission (CEC)
in consultation with the Contractors' State License Board
(CSLB), to identify and implement methods to simplify compliance
with state efficiency standards.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, minor, absorbable costs.
AB 1918
Page B
COMMENTS :
1)Author's statement: According to the author, "California's
standards for building efficiency are recognized as leading
the nation in energy savings and serve as one of the primary
energy policy tools that resulted in the state's per capita
energy use staying almost constant over the past 30 years,
while the rest of the United States' consumption steadily
increased.
"AB 1918 is needed to ensure that reported energy savings are
real, consumers who purchase services for home improvement are
protected, and businesses that provide energy efficiency
services are operating on a level playing field."
2)Energy efficiency of heating, ventilating, and
air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in California. The CEC claims
only 10% of replacement HVAC do not meet manufacturer's
quality control specifications for air flow, refrigerant
charge, and the CEC's duct sealing requirements. <1> They
further state that during new construction, only 30% of HVAC
installations meet manufacturer's quality control
specifications for air flow, refrigerant charge and the CEC's
duct sealing requirements. The CEC asserts these statistics
were derived from interviews with building officials, home
energy raters, and a study of compliance rates in residential
and non-residential buildings.<2> However, the relevant
statistics in the HVAC compliance rate study could not be
located; therefore, it is unknown whether the 10% and 30%
compliance rates are accurate and moreover, the sample size of
these interviews could not be determined. Consequently, it is
unclear the extent to which quality control non-compliance is
an issue in regards to HVAC installation.
Regardless, without proper quality control energy inefficient
--------------------------
<1> HVAC Convener's Report. 2008.
http://www.performancealliance.org/Portals/4/Documents/CommitteeW
orkspace/AFDD/CONVENER%20HVAC%20Report%20010308.pdf
<2> Statewide Codes and Standards Market Adoption and
Noncompliance Rates. 2007. Prepared for Southern California
Edison.
http://www.calmac.org/publications/Codes_and_Standards_Final_Repo
rt.pdf
AB 1918
Page C
systems may prevail, wasting energy and money.
3)Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The Energy
Efficiency standards apply to all building occupancies, and
related features and equipment throughout the state, contain
requirements to the structural, mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing systems, and require measures for energy
conservation, green design.
4)Previous legislation. AB 834 (Williams) of the current
legislative session, would have expanded the CEC's
administrative civil penalty enforcement authority to include
energy efficiency and water efficiency standards for
buildings. The bill was substantially amended in July of 2013
in the Senate. SB 454 (Pavley), Chapter 591, Statutes of
2011, took a similar approach, and the language was amended
out of the bill. With a lack of support for increased
enforcement, the author is trying an incentive-based approach
in this bill.
5)Support and opposition. Supporters claim the bill would
develop a process and dedicate resources to provide
information and training to allow schools to ensure HVAC
systems are properly permitted and operating as efficiently as
advertised. Other supporter's state installation of HVAC
systems in existing dwellings without a building permit has
simply skyrocketed in recent years, and that there can be
serious health and safety risks associated with the
installation of these systems in absence of qualified
oversight and inspection by the local building code authority.
They further assert that there is a high probability that
non-permitted HVAC installations are being done in violation
of the CEC's energy efficiency standards. Opposition states
that improving compliance with the building energy standards'
requirements for replacement heating and cooling equipment
will reduce energy use.
Analysis Prepared by : Brandon Gaytan / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083
FN: 0003471
AB 1918
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