The Energy Commission adopted the 2008 Standards on April 23, 2008, and the Building Standards Commission approved them for publication on September 11, 2008. The 2008 Residential Compliance Manual was adopted by the Commission on December 17, 2008, and the 2008 Non-residential Compliance Manual is scheduled for adoption in January 2009.

These new Standards will be in effect as of AUGUST 1, 2009. The requirement for when the 2008 standards must be followed is dependent on when the application for the building permit is submitted. If the application for the building permit is submitted on or after 8/1/09, the 2008 standards must be met.

The Energy Commission adopted the 2008 changes to the Building Energy Efficiency Standards for a number of compelling reasons:

1. To provide California with an adequate, reasonably-priced, and environmentally-sound supply of energy.

2. To respond to Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which mandates that California must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

3. To pursue California energy policy that energy efficiency is the resource of first choice for meeting California’s energy needs.

4. To act on the findings of California’s Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) that Standards are the most cost effective means to achieve energy efficiency, expects the Building Energy Efficiency Standards to continue to be upgraded over time to reduce electricity and peak demand, and recognizes the role of the Standards in reducing energy related to meeting California’s water needs and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

5. To meet the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative commitment to include aggressive energy efficiency measures into updates of state building codes.

6. To meet the Executive Order in the Green Building Initiative to improve the energy efficiency of nonresidential buildings through aggressive standards.

For more details about this new, please visit: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2008standards/