CITY PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION

Lisa Fleming Brown, CPM

Houston Commercial Energy Conservation Code (2011)

A choice of 2009 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2007 with amendments.

Effective September 2, 2011. Complete plans submitted prior to this date may use the code in existence.

Applies to commercial of any height

Multi-family residential more than 3 stories

Does not apply to: Single family, low energy buildings, buildings that do not use fossil fuel or electricity.

Specific exemptions in building systems or building elements throughout the code

Equipment and portions of buildings that use energy primarily to provide for industrial, manufacturing, or commercial processes.

Life Safety – Prevails.

Plans – New items required to be noted on the plans.

ComCheck or Other Approved Software

New City Energy Code Forms for MEP portions …coming soon

Commissioning Statements

Inspections – No new inspections, but some new compliance data.

Comply based on the applicable provisions (2006 IECC with Houston Amendments for Apartment) (Commercial Provisions for Restaurant)

4.1.1.5 Changes in Space Conditioning. Whenever unconditioned or semiheated spaces in a building are converted to conditioned spaces, such conditioned spaces shall be brought into compliance with all the applicable requirements of this code that would apply to the building envelope, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, service water heating, power, lighting, and other systems and equipment of the space as if the building were new.

Roofs/Ceilings that are part of the building envelope will be

required to come in to compliance!

4.2.1.1 New Buildings: New Buildings shall comply with either the provisions of

Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 or Section 11.

4.2.1.2 Additions to Existing Buildings: Additions to existing buildings shall

comply with either the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 or Section 11.

Exception to 4.2.1.2: When an addition to an existing building cannot comply by

itself, trade-offs will be allowed by modification to one or more of the existing

components of the existing building. Modeling of the modified components of the

existing building and addition shall employ the procedures of Section 11; and the

addition shall not increase the energy consumption of the existing building plus the

addition beyond the energy that would be consumed by the existing building plus the

addition if the addition alone did comply.

Option 1 – Comply with the prescriptive provisions as if the addition were a

separate building.

Option 2 - Make trade-offs between the addition and the improvements to the

existing so that the annual energy use meets the same as the prescriptive.

4.2.1.3 Alterations of Existing Buildings: Alterations of existing buildings shall comply with the provisions of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, provided, however that nothing in this code shall require compliance with any provision of this code if such compliance will result in the increase of energy consumption of the building.

Exceptions to 4.2.1.3:

(a) A historic building need not comply with a provision or provisions that would invalidate or jeopardize the historical designation or listing.

(b) Where one or more components of an existing building or portions thereof are being replaced, the annual energy consumption of the comprehensive design shall not be greater than the annual energy consumption of a substantially identical design, using the same energy types, in which the applicable requirements of Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, as provided in 4.2.1.3, and such compliance is verified by a design professional, by the use of any calculation methods acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.

Storm windows over existing glazing

Replacing broken or damage glazing in existing sash/frame

Altering roofs, ceilings, walls, with cavities if the cavity has at least R3.0/in

Altering walls and floors with no framing cavities

Replacing a roof membrane as long as neither the roof sheathing nor the existing insulation is exposed

Replacing doors doesn’t trigger the vestibule requirement

Replacing up to 25% of glazing if U and SHGC of replacement= original or better

The following alterations are exempt from compliance unless

they increase energy use:

Type of Work Comply with New Code?

Coating No

Second Roof Covering No

Top Membrane Replacement No

Covering Exposing Insulation Yes, if cavity is less than R3

Full Depth Patch No

Full Depth-Edge to Edge Yes

NEW APPENDIX ADDED FOR EXPLANATION!

- Envelope component types: Exterior or Semi-Exterior.

- Exterior – Separate conditioned space from outdoor.

- Semi Exterior – Separate conditioned from non-conditioned space.

- Shell spaces are assumed to be conditioned unless noted!

Regardless of compliance method these items have to be met.

Insulation

Proper installation to achieve rating

(no compression, except in metal bldg

purlins at supports)

Loose-fill or blown in only in roofs with

a slope of less than 3:12

Baffles in ventilated attics

Substantial Contact

Recessed Equipment Section 5.8.1.6

No insulation directly over suspended

ceilings

Fenestration & Doors

Check label or get installer

certification

Air leakage rates

SHGC and U

Joints, cracks and holes Caulked, gasketed, weather stripped or sealed Plans require a note with .3 cfm for fenestration

Air leakage – Controlling the air infiltration

through the building envelope

• Required at doors.

• Must have closing devices.

• Designed to not allow both doors open at the same time and at least 7 ft apart.

• NOTE – IBC limits amount of vestibules to 50% of egress.

EXCEPTIONS

• Differ in IECC and ASHRAE

Opaque Elements Nonresidential Residential Semiheated

Assembly

Maximum

Insulation Min.

R-Value

Assembly

Maximum

Insulation Min.

R-Value

Assembly

Maximum

Insulation Min.

R-Value

Roofs

Insulation Entirely above Deck

Metal Building

Attic and Other

U-0.063

U-0.065

U-0.034

R-15.0 ci

R-19.0

R-30.0

U-0.063

U-0.065

U-0.027

R-15.0 ci

R-38.0

R-19.0

U-0.218

U-0.167

U-0.081

R-3.8 ci

R-13.0

R-6.0

Walls, Above-Grade

Mass

Metal Building

Steel-Framed

Wood-Framed and Other

U-0.580

U-0.113

U-0.089

U-0.124

NR

R-13.0

R-13.0

R-13.0

U-0.089

U-0.113

U-0.124

U-0.151a

R-5.7 ci

R-13.0

R-13.0

R-13.0

U-0.580

U-0.184

U-0.292

U-0.352

NR

NR

NR

R-6.0

Wall, Below-Grade

Below-Grade Wall

C-1.140

NR

C-1.140

NR

C-1.140

NR

Floors

Mass

Steel-Joist

Wood-Framed and Other

U-0.137

U-0.107

U-0.051

R-4.2 ci

R-19.0

R-19.0

U-0.107

U-0.051

U-0.052

R-6.3 ci

R-19.0

R-19.0

U-0.282

U-0.350

U-0.322

NR

NR

NR

Slab-On-Grade Floors

Unheated

Heated

F-1.020

F-0.730

NR

R-7.5 for 12 in.

F-0.730

F-1.020

NR

R-7.5 for 12 in.

F-1.020

F-0.730

R-7.5 for 12 in.

NR

Opaque Doors

Swinging

Non-Swinging

U-0.700

U-1.450

U-0.700

U-1.450

U-0.700

U-1.450

Roof Insulation (5.5.3.1)

Insulation above deck – installed in a continuous manner. Interruptions limited to 1% of the roof area.

Metal Buildings – Must install the thermal block of at least 1 in.

5.5.3.1.1Cool roofs. Low slope roofs up to 2:12 shall be provided with a roof covering where the exterior surface has:

(a) solar reflectance of 0.70 or higher

(b) thermal emittance of 0.75 or higher

Concrete SR = .35

New asphalt SR = .05

Installer letter accepted for inspections

Cool roofing exceptions –

1/3 roof or less is covered by a deck.

The area of the roof that is covered with by a garden/green roof.

Photovoltaic and solar thermal equipment (area of PV x 3)

Fenestration

Meet U-factor and SHGC

50% limit of window to wall area for prescriptive approach

LEAVE LABELS FOR INSPECTION

Skylights limited to 5% gross roof area

SHGC North Oriented Glazing

SHGC Projection Factor

Factor

Projection

SHGC Multiplier

(All Other

Orientations)

SHGC

Multiplier

(North-

Oriented)

0-0.10 1.00 1.00

>0.10-0.20 0.91 0.95

>0.20-0.30 0.82 0.91

>0.30-0.40 0.74 0.87

>0.40-0.50 0.67 0.84

>0.50-0.60 0.61 0.81

>0.60-0.70 0.56 0.78

>0.70-0.80 0.51 0.76

>0.80-0.90 0.47 0.75

>0.90-1.00 0.44 0.73

Building Envelope AND HVAC Commissioning

Required in projects larger than 50K sq ft

of conditioned area.

Require a commissioning statement

signed & sealed by the architect

HVAC – When and what type of dampers are required

HVAC – Sealing return air

Lighting – Occupancy sensors

Lighting – Space by Space method vs. Building Method

Lighting – Time clock requirement

Envelope - Insulation attachment

Envelope – Cool roof statement from installer

City of Houston Code Enforcement www.houstonpermits.org / 832-394-9039