California has one of the most advanced building energy codes in the nation, Title 24 part 6, requiring buildings meet a minimum level of energy efficiency. While the code provides details on what is required and how to document a building, the process is never as easy as it seems. We offer whole-building compliance, utilizing the performance path to capture all the elements of a design impacting energy efficiency. While this can enable efficiency trade-offs between components it can also streamline the documentation and permitting process.
At A2 Efficiency, we offer whole-building compliance documentation and design analysis for commercial and multi-family buildings. With our experience in low-energy design and how the energy code is written and advanced, we provide teams with the best insights on how to represent their building designs as efficiently as possible.
Working With Us
Our team has experience working with state-of-the-art building designers throughout California, working on complex building systems and compliance challenges from highly glazed facades to all-electric heat pump systems. As building engineers, we are also able to assist teams in early design assessing their compliance margin and working with teams to establish system efficiency inputs when final design information may be limited. For Title 24 compliance, the team leverages a variety of building energy modeling tools and will help teams determine the most effective strategy for commercial non-residential and multi-family projects. We have a 7-step process to working with teams:
Determine the timeline needed for a permit submission.
Provide building massing, 3D or 2D geometry, revit, sketchup or another format.
Provide building assembly details, system drawings and key information.
A2 generates a permit-ready energy model for review.
(Iterative steps 1-4 for design assist analyses requested)A2 updates the permit model for final design documentation.
Licensed designers review and sign permit compliance documentation and submit to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Review assistance with AHJ (as needed), providing assistance on document questions.
Deliverables
Compliance documentation signed by the author.
Compliance energy modeling files, inputs and outputs.
Support memos and clarifications for AHJ as needed.
For design assistance only:
Summary of energy savings by end-use
Summary of standard system efficiency attributes compared with design