BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to energy standards for log built homes; and amending RCW 19.27A.020.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 19.27A.020 and 1990 c 2 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No later than January 1, 1991, the state building code council shall promulgate 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 promulgate 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. The code shall contain an exception which permits single rafter or joist vaulted ceilings insulated to a level of R‑30 (R value includes insulation only);

(ii) In zone 1, walls insulated to a level of R‑19 (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 value includes insulation only), or constructed with two by six members, R‑22 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 in zone 1 and 0.044 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 value includes insulation only);

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

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

(vii) 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) Exterior doors insulated to a level of R‑5; or an exterior wood door with a thermal resistance value of less than R‑5 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 in zone 1 and R‑38 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 value includes insulation only);

(ii) Walls insulated to a level of R‑19 (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;

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

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

(vi) 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) Double glazed windows with values not more than U‑0.65 in zone 1 and U‑0.60 in zone 2. The state building code council, in consultation with the state energy office, 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) In zone 1, the maximum glazing area shall be twenty-one 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) For log built homes with space heat other than electric resistance, the building code council shall establish equivalent thermal performance standards consistent with the standards and maximum glazing areas of (b) of this subsection. However, for log built homes in all climate zones, log or solid timber walls with a prescribed minimum average thickness are exempt from compliance calculations and must be deemed to meet this standard. For electric resistance heating in zone 2 the minimum thickness must be five and one-half inches and for other conditions the minimum thickness must be three and one-half inches.

(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 glazing are the tested values for thermal transmittance due to conduction resulting from either the American architectural manufacturers' association (AAMA) 1503.1 test procedure or the American society for testing materials (ASTM) C236 or C976 test procedures. Testing shall be conducted under established winter horizontal heat flow test conditions using the fifteen miles per hour wind speed perpendicular to the exterior surface of the glazing as specified under AAMA 1503.1 and product sample sizes specified under AAMA 1503.1. The AAMA 1503.1 testing must be conducted by an AAMA certified testing laboratory. The ASTM C236 or C976 testing U-values include any tested values resulting from a future revised AAMA 1503.1 test procedure. Sealed insulation glass, where used, shall conform to ASTM E‑774‑81 level A or better. The state building code council shall maintain a list of the tested U-values for glazing products available in the state.

(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 state energy office as provided in RCW 34.05.310 prior to publication of proposed rules. The state energy office shall review the proposed rules for consistency with the guidelines adopted in subsection (4) of this section. The director of the state energy office shall recommend to the state building code council any changes necessary to conform the proposed rules to the requirements of this section.

(9) The state building code council shall conduct a study of county and city enforcement of energy codes in the state. In conducting the study, the council shall conduct public hearings at designated council meetings to seek input from interested individuals and organizations, and to the extent possible, hold these meetings in conjunction with adopting rules under this section. The study shall include recommendations as to how code enforcement may be improved. The findings of the study shall be submitted in a report to the legislature no later than January 1, 1991.

(10) If any electric utility providing electric service to customers in the state of Washington purchases at least one percent of its firm energy load from a federal agency, pursuant to section 5.(b)(1) of the Pacific Northwest electric power planning and conservation act (P.L. 96‑501), and such utility is unable to obtain from that agency at least fifty percent of the funds for payments required by RCW 19.27A.035, the amendments to this section by chapter 2, Laws of 1990 shall be null and void, and the 1986 state energy code shall be in effect, except that a city, town, or county may enforce a local energy code with more stringent energy requirements adopted prior to March 1, 1990. This subsection shall expire June 30, 1995.