2025 Code Breaker: Solar, Battery Zero Net Carbon Design for All Building Types | Energy Code Ace

Join us for this one-hour presentation to review the 2025 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or Energy Code) requirements that support the goals of a Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) project. We will review updated requirements for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS), domestic hot water system requirements supporting electrification, pool and spa requirements supporting heat pump technology, limits on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) design options, and additional heat pump design requirements. We’ll also explore the new Performance Approach compliance metric “Long-term System Cost” (LSC), which converts the predicted site energy use to long-term dollar costs to California’s energy system.

Learning objectives include:

Recognize when solar photovoltaic and battery systems are required in single-family homes
Recognize when solar photovoltaic and battery systems are required in nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings
Explain how solar and battery systems improve grid harmony of buildings and onsite consumption of solar energy
Understand how alternative design options for single-family homes and nonresidential buildings can achieve ZNCD using efficiency measures, solar, and battery systems
Identify online resources for more guidance on these topics

Nick Brown is President of Build Smart, an independent energy consultancy specializing in California energy modeling, energy code, and building performance that supports builders and architects in designing energy-efficient buildings. Nick is a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) for residential and an Associate Energy Analyst (AEA) for nonresidential construction by the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC). He is a Subject Matter Expert on the Energy Code Ace statewide education team and teaches classes for Southern California Edison on Net Zero Design, All-electric Homes, Heat Pumps, and Selling Clean Energy Homes. As part of a CalSEED team, Nick is currently researching phase change material applications in HVAC systems. Nick was elected to the Board of Directors of CABEC beginning in 2018. He holds a BA in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA in Manufacturing from the University of Michigan. He remodeled his own home in 2014 in a deep energy retrofit and has written and presented extensively on Net Zero buildings, high-performance walls, and energy efficient building. Prior to starting Build Smart, he served as President of Merlex Stucco for 15 years, a $15 million Southern California stucco manufacturer.