Title 24 is a section of California law that's dedicated to the enforcement of energy efficiency standards. The bulks of its regulations apply to nonresidential structures of all kinds, but it also applies to many forms of new housing construction. These collective standards are also frequently called the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, or the BEES.
Many business owners have questions about what goes into a Title 24 report. To that end, take a look at what you should be concerned about.
Enforcement Mechanisms
The bulk of enforcement is done at the county or local level, with the building department taking responsibility for seeing that standards are applied. Enforcement is largely implemented during the building permit process. If you construct a new building or renovate an older one, that's when you're most likely to run afoul of Title 24.
Prior to inspections being conducted, a Title 24 report is supposed to be assembled and provided to the building department. The building inspector responsible for checking your work at the construction or renovation site will then compare your report to what they're seeing. In some instances, a third-party inspection may also be needed.
Finding Qualified Professionals to Produce Reports
There is no current licensing or registration standard in place for analysts. Private certification programs exist, but these are entirely voluntary.
Individuals who deal with specific systems subject to the BEES standards are required to undergo an acceptance test. These individuals are certified by a handful of professional organizations that are relevant to the specific task, such as evaluating the energy efficiency of lighting controls, HVAC units, and mechanical systems.
Can You Perform Documentation Yourself?
The inherently voluntary elements of the program mean that you can create a report yourself. The only difficulty this approach will actually face is the building inspection process. In other words, you can't just file a junk report on your own to get around the requirement. What might happen instead is that an inexperienced analyst—you, in this case—will likely generate a report that doesn't satisfy the building inspector. In the process, you'll probably end up spending more money on permit extensions and inspections. Unless you know your stuff, don't try it. Reach out to a Title 24 report business for more information.
Why It Matters
California's long-term goal is for buildings to achieve "net zero energy." This means they will consume no more energy than can be generated on-site. Commercial structures are expected to meet this standard by 2030.