The California Building Standards Code or as it is more formally known, Title 24 is a group of regulations covering the construction of buildings in the state of California. There are 12 different sections to this regulation. These regulations were first put into place in 1978 and require that all California residents be in full Title 24 compliance of section 6, which covers energy efficiency.
Why Is Energy Efficiency So Important?
The reason Californians must be in full Title 24 Compliance with regard to energy efficiency is multi-fold. First and foremost, being more energy efficient helps to reduce energy costs. Secondly, compliance helps to ensure a higher level of reliability in the supply of electricity to everyone in the state. It also helps to ensure that everyone has access to the electricity they need without the worry of rolling brownouts.
By making homes and businesses more energy efficient, it is possible to make the occupants more comfortable at a lower cost. At the same time building with energy efficiency in mind helps to reduce the environmental impact that comes with generating power. Being in Title 24 compliance has had a dramatic effect on the type of lighting fixtures and many home appliances as well as how they are used.
Very Important Standards
In order to be in full Title 24 compliance, all new homes and the remodeled sections of existing homes must have kitchens in which no less than 50% of the power consumed is done by high-efficacy lighting. This typically means that all light fixtures will be either CFL or LED. The regulations state that all light fixtures must be certified by the manufacturer as high-efficacy, they cannot be of the type that allows the use of low-efficacy lighting (incandescent).
If using LED fixtures, they must provide a score of at least 90 on the color-rendering index (CRI). This index is used to measure the color accuracy and crispness of the light produced. At the same time, the color temperature must be between 2700 and 4000k for bulbs intended to be used indoors.
By the numbers, high-efficacy lighting has been defined as bulbs that are:
- 15 watts or less: Minimum of 40 lumens/watt
- 15 to 40 watts: Minimum of 50 lumens/watt
- More than 40 watts: Minimum of 60 lumens/watt
Given the above information, it becomes much easier to see why Title 24 compliance is so vital to all who live and work in California. For inquiries or to schedule a consultation please contact K2D at 310.935.3773 or visit www.K2d.com for further information.
