You may have heard that newly constructed single-family homes in California have to be “electric ready,” but did you know that under the new 2022 Energy Code, that requirement has been extended for new multifamily buildings of all sizes?
Under the 2022 Energy Code to take effect January 1, 2023, gas appliances installed for individual dwelling units must also include the electrical infrastructure to allow for the easy transition to electric heat pump technology for space conditioning and hot water generation, and energy-efficient electric options for cooking and cloths drying.
For multifamily project this could be a significant cost consideration. The Energy Code does not dictate whether a project uses natural gas, but it does prevent a new project from precluding the current owner or future ownership from easily and cost effectively making the necessary switch to electric and presumably cleaner energy.
The Energy Code includes language for accommodating minimum physical space for future heat pump water heaters, adjacency requirements for the location of dedicated circuitry, and panel/subpanel wiring and labeling.
Additional Resources
For more information and to preview the approved code language see the CEC’s webpage on 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
Or visit the 3C-REN Resource Library for code information and case studies.
See also the new Multifamily Energy Code Sections 160.4 and 160.9 for the complete code language.