Title 24

The California Energy Commission (CEC) created regulations to reduce California’s energy consumption and provide Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential buildings that is formally titled “California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 6”. The Cool Roof Update adopted in 2005 further sets cool roof energy standards for design and construction of roofs in California.  This new regulation added a prescriptive requirement for non-residential buildings with low slopes.

What does Title 24, Part 6 now require?

Prescriptive requirements to install roofing materials that have an initial solar reflectance of 0.70 or greater and an initial thermal emittance of 0.75 or greater. Aged reflectance and emittance values will become the standard for compliance in the future.

What buildings are affected?

All Low-Slope (<2:12) non-residential roofs over conditioned spaces (heated or cooled) that are New Construction or are an existing building and is being reroofed that has a reroof area of 2000 s.f. or more or the amount of the area of roof to be reroofed is 50% of the total roof area…then compliance to Cool Roof Prescriptive requirements are mandatory.

Note: The rules are a little different for both high-rise residential buildings and hotels.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. If an existing non-residential building’s roof is a BUR or Modified Bituminous roof with a  rock or gravel surface, no removal of existing layers or installation of insulation is contemplated and there is no recoating with liquid applied coatings contemplated, then reflective roofing is not required.

How will this be enforced?

Evidence of compliance is determined by providing labels of the CRRC-rated products that are proposed when applying for a building permit. Non-complying roof systems will not be acceptable and do not allow the permits to be issued.

What is a CRRC-rated product?

CRRC is the Cool Roof Ratings Council – an independent and unbiased organization that establishes test criteria for compliance to Title 24. CRRC is also a clearing-house for verification and dissemination of this information. Specific labels showing compliance to Title 24 requirements are licensed to the manufacturers’ of materials that have undergone testing to CRRC protocols. These labels show the reflectivity and emissivity values for the tested roof product.

Can CentiMark provide CRRC-rated products?

Yes, we do use various TPO and PVC membranes that are Title 24 compliant materials. In addition, some of the white coatings used over SPF are also Title 24 compliant.

Besides CRRC-Rated Roof Products are there also minimum insulation requirements in Title 2?

Yes. Depending on the location of a building in California, minimum U values have also been established for compliance to Title 24.