Electrification Policy

There is a public meeting tonight w/ a presentation of Boston’s new recommendations for updating their green building requirements. The Zero Net Carbon Building Zoning Initiative. Their web page has other documents and notes from the Technical Advisory Group on specific parts of the initiative. http://www.bostonplans.org/planning/planning-initiatives/zero-net-carbon-building-zoning-initiative?utm_source=Neighborhoods&utm_campaign=11be5e501a-Zero_Net_Carbon_Building_Update_10_8_2020_COPY_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bccda74844-11be5e501a-217987657&mc_cid=11be5e501a&mc_eid=76f30941bd Kristen Fritsch AIA LEED AP BD+C WELL AP Sustainability Coordinator ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS [tel] 617.695.7954 [email] kfritsch@elkus-manfredi.com WFH# 206-356-5296 F

The Sierra Club has been tracking California cities moving to electrification, and has been updating the following article as things change. They now list 50 CA cities: https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2021/07/californias-cities-lead-way-gas-free-future.  San Mateo is one of the those that already has policy in effect. Their policy can be found here: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3363/Reach-Codes.

Re: Seattle, the new energy code (in effect since early this year) requires heat pumps for most space heating uses in all buildings as well as heat pump water heating in new multifamily/hotel buildings. It removes options for fossil fuels AND electric resistance (with many exceptions for minor electric resistance uses). Removing electric resistance is important, as we are going for “efficient electrification” to reduce the cost of building all of these new renewable resources to the utilities and thus customers. The Seattle code avoided regulating fossil fuel fireplaces and cooking since those are relatively minor and emotional flashpoints. There are also exceptions for existing buildings, with the thought that once heat pump technology is ubiquitous in Seattle it will be cheaper and easier to install in retrofits buildings. There is a further code piece (before the City Council) that may require heat pumps for all water heating uses, not just multifamily/hotel. Multifamily happen to be the largest uses of hot water, so the code is already targeting the most impactful typologies. Code is a great way to do decarbonization, since those in the building industry are already looking at codes for design, and it allows nuance and exceptions that are important to ensure a smooth transition. We must remember that tens of thousands of people need to be trained in installing this technology, maintaining it, manufacturing, selling, pricing, and stocking it. The entire state is considering how much of this to adopt int our code. We are about to start the last public comment process for the new code, which currently includes most of the Seattle elements described above in it. I have the privilege of being the Chair of the Energy Code TAG and on the building code council, so I have a front row seat to many of the discussions on how and what we do; I’m happy to elaborate. -Kjell From:

Just a note: the Boston public meeting was last night 10/20