In February, I attended the Graniterock Contractor’s Expo held in Monterey, California. I was invited to provide two CALGreen presentations to the approximately 400 architects, engineers, contractors, and public employees in attendance.
My talks focused on key parts of CALGreen, including chapter 4, chapter 5, and the application of commissioning. The audience was able to share real world experiences in trying to achieve compliance for various types of projects over the 14 months since CALGreen was implemented. This field experience lead to some interesting questions and answers that helped attendees get a better sense of CALGreen application.
Additionally, when the audience was introduced to the newly adopted amendments that go into effect July 1, 2012, it sparked further questions regarding compliance with the new code sections. These latest amendments adopted by CALGreen address additions and alterations for existing commercial buildings.
As a bonus, I introduced the audience to the draft of the 2013 California Energy Code, which contains some very interesting topics such as air barrier, commissioning, zero duct leakage, and an increase in insulation requirements. There was also a short discussion about Zero Net Energy homes and the State’s direction toward this goal.
If you have any questions about CALGreen, please feel free to email me. If you are curious about training and achieving a more in-depth understanding about the new CALGreen amendments, contact me so we can discuss a training event for you and your organization.
Sincerely, Charles “Russ” Russell