California Title 24 Building Code and Whole House Fans and Ventilation
While we needed no convincing of the benefits whole house fans provide California homeowners, it’s perfect vindication for us to see what the California Title 24 Building Code has to say about whole house fans and ventilation.
What’s the Big Deal about California Title 24 Building Code?
The new building code requires all new home and commercial buildings construction in climate zones eight through 14 have whole house fans installed in order to cool attics and homes, while reducing the load on air conditioners. It does one step further by requiring that builders include one square foot of attic venting per 375 CFM the fan system moves. The seven zones are:
CZ 8: El Toro
CZ 9: Pasadena
CZ10: Riverside
CZ11: Red Bluff
CZ12: Sacramento
CZ13: Fresno
CZ14: China Lake
The standards, which took effect on January 1, 2014, “offer builders better windows, insulation, lighting, ventilation systems and other features that reduce energy consumption in homes and businesses.”
Some improved measures in the Standards include, whole house fans to cool homes and attics with evening air reducing the need for air conditioning load.
There is no better validation of the effectiveness of whole house fans when it comes to cooling homes. The added benefit to homeowners, though, is that whole house fans are critical for improving air quality inside the home, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consistently indicates represents a significant threat to human health.
Planetary Benefits of Title 24
In addition to lowering utility bills of new homeowners, this also helps to significantly reduce the strain on limited energy supplies throughout these zones of California.
“Improving the energy efficiency of buildings in which we will live and work will save Californians energy for decades,” said Energy Commissioner Karen Douglas.
But that isn’t the only benefit of requiring whole house fans in all new home construction. There are environmental concerns to consider as well.
In fact, the inclusion of whole house fans is not the only provision that favors the planets included in title 24. The following are also provided for in the provision.
New home construction requirements:
- Insulated hot water pipes. It might not sound like a big deal, but this important step helps to save energy and, more importantly in California, conserve water by taking less time to deliver hot water.
- Installation of more energy efficient windows. The overall goal is to increase the amount of sunlight coming in through windows while decreasing the amount of heat gained through them.
- Newly constructed homes must have solar-ready roofs. This gives homeowners the option of adding solar panels at a later time with minimal effort if they choose to do so.
- Air conditioner installations must be verified to ensure that the appliance operated efficiently.
- Exhaust fans are now required in kitchens and bathrooms in order to remove moisture from the rooms. This critical step not only helps to improve overall indoor air quality, but it also helps prevent mold from growing in these new, energy efficient homes.
Energy Commissioner, Karen Douglas is excited about what these changes represent for California, stating that,
“These Standards will help save consumers money on their utility bills, keep them comfortable in their homes, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better, more efficient buildings.”
We believe that small changes like these deliver big results in personal health, financial health, and overall well being.