H-0352.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1886

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Delvin and Koster

Read first time 02/09/1999.  Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Housing & Trade.

Changing energy-related building standards.

    AN ACT Relating to energy-related building standards; and amending RCW 19.27A.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 19.27A.020 and 1998 c 245 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No later than January 1, 1991, the state building code council shall adopt rules to be known as the Washington state energy code as part of the state building code.

    (2) The council shall follow the legislature's standards set forth in this section to adopt rules to be known as the Washington state energy code.  The Washington state energy code shall be designed to require new buildings to meet a certain level of energy efficiency, but allow flexibility in building design, construction, and heating equipment efficiencies within that framework.  The Washington state energy code shall be designed to allow space heating equipment efficiency to offset or substitute for building envelope thermal performance.

    (3) The Washington state energy code shall take into account regional climatic conditions.  Climate zone 1 shall include all counties not included in climate zone 2.  Climate zone 2 includes:  Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties.

    (4) The Washington state energy code for residential buildings shall require:

    (a) New residential buildings that are space heated with electric resistance heating systems to achieve energy use equivalent to that used in typical buildings constructed with:

    (i) Ceilings insulated to a level of ((R‑38)) R‑30.  The code shall contain an exception which permits single rafter or joist vaulted ceilings insulated to a level of ((R‑30)) R‑19 (R value includes insulation only);

    (ii) In zone 1, walls insulated to a level of ((R‑19)) R‑11 (R value includes insulation only)((, or constructed with two by four members, R‑13 insulation batts, R‑3.2 insulated sheathing, and other normal assembly components)); in zone 2 walls insulated to a level of ((R‑24)) R‑19 (R value includes insulation only), or constructed with two by ((six)) four members, ((R‑22)) R-13 insulation batts, R‑3.2 insulated sheathing, and other normal construction assembly components; for the purpose of determining equivalent thermal performance, the wall U-value shall be ((0.058)) 0.075 in zone 1 and ((0.044)) 0.058 in zone 2;

    (iii) ((Below grade walls, insulated on the interior side, to a level of R‑19 or, if insulated on the exterior side, to a level of R‑10 in zone 1 and R‑12 in zone 2 (R value includes insulation only);

    (iv))) Floors over unheated spaces insulated to a level of ((R‑30)) R-11 (R value includes insulation only);

    (((v))) (iv) Slab on grade floors insulated to a level of ((R‑10)) R‑4 at the perimeter;

    (((vi))) (v) Double glazed windows with values not more than ((U‑0.4)) U‑0.65;

    (((vii))) (vi) In zone 1 the glazing area may be up to twenty-one percent of floor area and in zone 2 the glazing area may be up to seventeen percent of floor area where consideration of the thermal resistance values for other building components and solar heat gains through the glazing result in thermal performance equivalent to that achieved with thermal resistance values for other components determined in accordance with the equivalent thermal performance criteria of (a) of this subsection and glazing area equal to fifteen percent of the floor area.  Throughout the state for the purposes of determining equivalent thermal performance, the maximum glazing area shall be fifteen percent of the floor area; and

    (((viii))) (vii) Exterior doors insulated to a level of ((R‑5)) R-3; or an exterior wood door with a thermal resistance value of less than ((R‑5)) R-3 and values for other components determined in accordance with the equivalent thermal performance criteria of (a) of this subsection.

    (b) New residential buildings which are space-heated with all other forms of space heating to achieve energy use equivalent to that used in typical buildings constructed with:

    (i) Ceilings insulated to a level of ((R‑30)) R‑19 in zone 1 and ((R‑38)) R‑30 in zone 2 the code shall contain an exception which permits single rafter or joist vaulted ceilings insulated to a level of ((R‑30)) R‑19 (R value includes insulation only);

    (ii) Walls insulated to a level of ((R‑19)) R‑11 (R value includes insulation only)((, or constructed with two by four members, R‑13 insulation batts, R‑3.2 insulated sheathing, and other normal assembly components));

    (iii) ((Below grade walls, insulated on the interior side, to a level of R‑19 or, if insulated on the exterior side, to a level of R‑10 in zone 1 and R‑12 in zone 2 (R value includes insulation only);

    (iv))) Floors over unheated spaces insulated to a level of ((R‑19)) R-11 in zone 1 and ((R‑30)) R-19 in zone 2 (R value includes insulation only);

    (((v))) (iv) Slab on grade floors insulated to a level of ((R‑10)) R-4 at the perimeter;

    (((vi))) (v) Heat pumps with a minimum heating season performance factor (HSPF) of 6.8 or with all other energy sources with a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of seventy-eight percent;

    (((vii))) (vi) Double glazed windows with values not more than ((U‑0.65)) U‑0.90 in zone 1 and ((U‑0.60)) U‑0.65 in zone 2((.  The state building code council, in consultation with the department of community, trade, and economic development, shall review these U-values, and, if economically justified for consumers, shall amend the Washington state energy code to improve the U-values by December 1, 1993.  The amendment shall not take effect until July 1, 1994)); and

    (((viii))) (vii) In zone 1, the maximum glazing area shall be ((twenty-one)) twenty-five percent of the floor area.  In zone 2 the maximum glazing area shall be seventeen percent of the floor area.  Throughout the state for the purposes of determining equivalent thermal performance, the maximum glazing area shall be fifteen percent of the floor area.

    (c) The requirements of (b)(ii) of this subsection do not apply to residences with log or solid timber walls with a minimum average thickness of three and one-half inches and with space heat other than electric resistance.

    (d) The state building code council may approve an energy code for pilot projects of residential construction that use innovative energy efficiency technologies intended to result in savings that are greater than those realized in the levels specified in this section.

    (5) U-values for glazing shall be determined using the area weighted average of all glazing in the building.  U-values for vertical glazing shall be determined, certified, and labeled in accordance with the appropriate national fenestration rating council (NFRC) standard, as determined and adopted by the state building code council.  Certification of U-values shall be conducted by a certified, independent agency licensed by the NFRC.  The state building code council may develop and adopt alternative methods of determining, certifying, and labeling U-values for vertical glazing that may be used by fenestration manufacturers if determined to be appropriate by the council.  The state building code council shall review and consider the adoption of the NFRC standards for determining, certifying, and labeling U-values for doors and skylights when developed and published by the NFRC.  The state building code council may develop and adopt appropriate alternative methods for determining, certifying, and labeling U-values for doors and skylights.  U-values for doors and skylights determined, certified, and labeled in accordance with the appropriate NFRC standard shall be acceptable for compliance with the state energy code.  Sealed insulation glass, where used, shall conform to, or be in the process of being tested for, ASTM E‑774‑81 class A or better.

    (6) The minimum state energy code for new nonresidential buildings shall be the Washington state energy code, 1986 edition, as amended.

    (7)(((a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection,)) The Washington state energy code for residential structures shall preempt the residential energy code of each city, town, and county in the state of Washington.

    (((b) The state energy code for residential structures does not preempt a city, town, or county's energy code for residential structures which exceeds the requirements of the state energy code and which was adopted by the city, town, or county prior to March 1, 1990.  Such cities, towns, or counties may not subsequently amend their energy code for residential structures to exceed the requirements adopted prior to March 1, 1990.))

    (8) The state building code council shall consult with the department of community, trade, and economic development as provided in RCW 34.05.310 prior to publication of proposed rules.  The department of community, trade, and economic development shall review the proposed rules for consistency with the guidelines adopted in subsection (4) of this section.  The director of the department of community, trade, and economic development shall recommend to the state building code council any changes necessary to conform the proposed rules to the requirements of this section.

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