Sonoma County Energy Efficience Ordinance

7D2-1 Findings

The modifications to the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards are reasonably necessary due to local climatic conditions. As a result of summer ambient temperatures, average load demand and peak load demand of energy used in Sonoma County are important factors concerning public safety and adverse economic impacts of power outages or power reductions (i.e., “brown-outs”). Reduction of total and peak energy use as a result of incremental energy conservation measures required by this ordinance will have local and regional benefits in the cost-effective reduction of energy costs for the building owner, additional available system energy capacity, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

7D2-2 Purpose

This ordinance sets forth minimum energy efficiency standards within the County of Sonoma for all new residential construction. This Chapter is intended to supplement the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, as specified in the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Parts 1 and 6 (Standards). Compliance with the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards is required even if the increased minimum efficiency standards in this Chapter do not apply.
7D2-3 Definitions.
For purposes of this Chapter, words or phrases used in this Chapter that are specifically defined in Parts 1, 2 or 6 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations shall have the same meaning as given in the Code of Regulations. In addition, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning indicated herein:
(A) “2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards” shall mean the Standards and regulations adopted by the California Energy Commission contained in Parts 1 and 6 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations as such standards and regulations may be amended from time to time.
(B) “Nonresidential Compliance Manual” shall mean the manual developed by the California Energy Commission, under Section 25402.1(e) of the Public Resources Code, to aid designers, builders, and contractors in meeting the requirements of the state’s 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for nonresidential, high-rise residential, and hotel/motel buildings.
(C) “Residential Compliance Manual” shall mean the manual developed by the California Energy Commission, under Section 25402.1(e) of the Public Resources Code, to aid designers, builders, and contractors in meeting the requirements of the state’s 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for low-rise residential buildings.
(D) “Time Dependent Valuation of Energy or (“TDV Energy”)” shall mean the time varying energy caused to be used by the building to provide space conditioning and water heating and, for specified buildings, lighting. TDV Energy accounts for the energy used at the building site and consumed in producing and in delivering energy to a site, including but not limited to, power generation, transmission and distribution losses. TDV Energy is expressed in terms of thousands of British thermal units per square foot per year (kBtu/sq.ft.- yr.).

7D2-4 Buildings Covered

The provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all new residential construction of any size for which a building permit has been applied and accepted as complete by the Building Division on or after the effective date of this ordinance. Subject to the foregoing limitation, the coverage of this Chapter shall be determined in accordance with the scope and application of either the Residential Compliance Manual or the Nonresidential Compliance Manual, as appropriate for the proposed occupancy.
7D2-5 Compliance.
The building official for the County of Sonoma shall be charged with enforcing the provisions of this ordinance. A building permit subject to the provisions of this chapter shall not be issued by the County’s Permit and Resource Management Department’s Building Division unless the energy compliance documentation submitted with the permit application meets the requirements of this chapter. A final inspection for a building permit subject to the requirements of this chapter will not be approved unless the work authorized under a permit has been constructed in accordance with the approved plans and requirements of this chapter.

7D2-6 General Compliance Requirements

In addition to the requirements of the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, the following general compliance requirements shall apply to all permit applications subject to this chapter:
(A) Residential Buildings. When an application for a building permit involves a new residential building, the performance approach specified in Section 151 of the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards must be used to demonstrate that the TDV Energy of the proposed building is less than the TDV Energy of the standard building per the requirements of the 2010 California Green Building Standards Code as amended and adopted by Chapter 7, Sonoma County Code.
(B) Documentation. In order to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Section, a permit applicant may be required to submit supplementary forms and documentation in addition to the building drawings, specifications, and standard Title 24 report forms, as deemed appropriate by the County’s building official.
7D2-7 Enforcement.
(A) In addition to any other remedies provided in this article, any violation of this article may be enforced by civil action brought by the county. In any such action, the county may seek as appropriate, any or all of the following:
1) A temporary restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunction;
2) Reimbursement for the costs of any investigation, inspection or monitoring survey which led to the establishment of the violation, and for the reasonable costs of preparing and bringing administrative action under this article;
3) Costs incurred in removing, correcting, or terminating the adverse effect resulting from the violation.
(B) Cumulative Remedies. The foregoing remedy shall be deemed nonexclusive, cumulative and in addition to any other remedy the County may have at law or in equity, including but not limited to injunctive relief to prevent violations of this chapter.
7D2-8 Expiration.
This chapter shall expire upon the date that the state’s 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards are no longer in effect.