Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, energy efficiency standards, including appliance efficiency standards. Under this authorization, the commission has adopted requirements for thermal emittance, 3-year aged reflectance, and solar reflectance index of roofing materials used in new construction and reroofing projects.
This bill would require the commission, during one or more of the next 4 triennial code adoption cycles after January 1, 2020, to consider amendments to the roof replacement building standards for alterations to existing low-rise, steep-sloped roof residential buildings with the goal of increasing the value of minimum aged solar reflectance up to 0.40 in the 2031 standard and the goal of expanding the range of climate zones in which minimum aged solar reflectance values are prescribed for those alterations. The bill would require the commission, prior to considering these amendments, to assess whether there is an adequate supply of labor resources and available compliant products in the climate zones for which the commission may consider the amendments. The bill would require that the amendments be cost-effective and not be imposed on existing low-rise, steep-sloped roof residential buildings where the cost of compliance would exceed the actual energy cost savings achieved through compliance. The bill would also make findings and declarations regarding the benefit of installing cool-roof products on existing residential buildings.