is intended to teach readers
about the high performance building process for commercial new
construction. The goal of the high performance building process is
to create buildings that meet owner and occupant needs in terms of
energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and other sustainability
areas-and do so in a way that reduces the necessary design effort
and construction cost impact.
Commercial new construction projects in California have a long
history of achieving exemplary energy efficiency, particularly when
compared to the level of efficiency typical of projects in other
parts of the United States. Since the introduction of California's Title 24 Standards in 1978, Golden
State projects have been required to comply with one of the most
stringent energy codes in the world. The performance requirements
in Title 24 have been continually revised over the years as new
energy technologies and design techniques have become available.
The current Title 24 Standards require a high level of energy
efficiency, and compliance with these standards is not a "given"
without employing an integrated design process and efficient
building systems.
Today, many projects are pursuing even higher levels of energy
efficiency than what is required by Title 24 as a result of
participation in utility-sponsored incentive programs, such as
Savings By Design. Projects may also be seeking certification under
the " Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design" (LEED) or the "Collaborative for High
Performance Schools" (CHPS) green building rating/certification
systems.
The first part of this guidebook addresses the high performance
building process, and how energy modeling can be used to help
project stakeholders make better informed design decisions.
Specific ways that energy modeling can be used to support the high
performance building process during each design phase are
discussed. The second part of this guidebook addresses
program-specific documentation requirements for Savings By Design,
LEED for New Construction version 2.2. (LEED-NC-2.2), and
California CHPS 2006 (CA-CHPS-2006). There is a wealth of
information on energy modeling, advanced building systems, and
related topics available free-of-charge at the Energy Design
Resources website (www.energydesignresources.com). A list of free
resources that may be of interest is presented in the "For
Additional Information" section at the end of this handbook.
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