In the Beginning
ASHRAE 90-75, released in 1975, was the first ASHRAE Standard 90 and the first real energy standard for commercial buildings. Standard 90-75 led to a short-lived and virtually unknown energy code called the Model Code for Energy Conservation (1977).
The requirements in 90-75 showed up in the first Model Energy Code in 1983 and the next three MECs in 1986, 1989, and 1992. However, in 1989, ASHRAE came out with Standard 90.1-1989, the third Standard 90. This standard was also the basis of the first Federal commercial energy code – 10 CFR 434.
Users of the 1992 MEC were allowed to use 90.1-1989 and the 1993 MEC required its use. ECPA (as amended) required states to adopt commercial energy codes that met or exceeded Standard 90.1-1989, so the 1993 MEC was the first version of that code that met ECPA (as amended) requirements.
The 1995 MEC and the 1998 IECC (the ‘new’ MEC) were also based more or less on ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1989. In 1999, ASHRAE released Standard 90.1-1999, a complete revision to 90.1-1989. 90.1-2001 and 90.1-2004 were also subsequently released.
Codes Summary
The following table provides a summary of energy codes
77 MCEC Based on Standard 90.1-1975
83, 86, 89 MEC Based largely on Standard 90A-1980
92, 93, 95 MEC 92 allows 90.1-1989 for commercial; 93 refers only to 90.1-1989; 95 changes 90.1 reference to 1993 codified version
98 IECC Adds a new commercial chapter for low-rise buildings with ‘simple’ mechanical systems; adds residential solar heat gain coefficient requirements
00 IECC Adds a residential prescriptive compliance option; broadens commercial chapter to all commercial buildings
00 IRC Includes reference to IECC; must use IECC if glazing area is > 15% for single-family dwellings or > 25% for multifamily dwellings or townhouses
01 IECC Supplement First version to reference ASHRAE ‘new series of Standard 90.1’; references 90.1-1999
NFPA 900 (2001) Is comprised of 90.1-2001 and 90.2-2001
03 IECC Changes the 90.1 reference to 90.1-2001
03 IRC Includes reference to IECC (see above description for 00 IRC); requirements very similar to 2003 IECC
NFPA 900 (2004) Is comprised of 90.1-2004 and 90.2-2004
04 IECC Supplement Climate zones are revised; prescriptive requirements are made simpler, including the elimination of the window-to-wall ratio
04 IRC Supplement No longer includes a reference to the IECC
06 IECC Supplement Thermal envelope requirements adjusted
Standards Summary
The following table provides a summary of standards.
90-1975 First to comprehensively address design and construction of new buildings from an energy standpoint
90A-1980 Updates 90-1975
90.1-1989 Completely revises 90A-1980 for buildings other than low-rise residential buildings
90.2-1993 Completely revises 90A-1980 for low-rise residential buildings
90.1-1989 code Modifies 90.1-1989 to mandatory and enforceable language in 1993 (a.k.a. ‘little gray book’ or “codified version”)
90.1-1999 Completely revises 90.1-1989 and written in code language
90.1-2001 Updates the 1999 version with multiple language clarification updates and modifications for ease of compliance
90.2-2001 First update since 1993, includes a number of addenda
90.1-2004 Completely reformats 2001 version with major climate zone revisions, increased interior lighting requirement stringency, new exterior lighting requirements, and critical language clarification updates; also includes Informative Appendix G for use in demonstrating LEED compliance
90.2-2004 Includes addenda
Summary
• The first Standard 90 was published in 1975.
• The 1983, 1986, 1989, and 1992 editions of the MEC contained pieces of 90-75.
• 90.1-1989 and 90.1-1999 were major revisions for Standard 90.
• The MEC became known as the IECC with publication of the 1998 edition.
Energy Department Acronyms and Definitions
A
A – Ampere
AAL – all aluminum (electricity conductor)
AAQS – Ambient Air Quality Standards
ABAG – Association of Bay Area Governments
AC – alternating current
ACE – Argus Cogeneration Expansion Project – Army Corps of Engineers
ACSR – aluminum covered steel reinforced (electricity conductor)
AFC – Application for Certification
AFY – acre-feet per year
AHM – Acutely Hazardous Materials
ANSI – American National Standards Institute
APCD – Air Pollution Control District
APCO – Air Pollution Control Officer
AQMD – Air Quality Management District
AQMP – Air Quality Management Plan
ARB – (California) Air Resources Board
ARCO – Atlantic Richfield Company
ASAE – American Society of Architectural Engineers
ASHRAE – American Society of Heating Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineers
ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ATC – Authority to Construct
________________________________________
B
BAAQMD – Bay Area Air Quality Management District
BACT – Best Available Control Technology
BAF – Basic American Foods
BARCT – Best Available Retrofit Control Technology
bbl – barrel
BCDC – Bay Conservation and Development Commission
BCF – billion cubic feet
Bcfd – billion cubic feet per day
b/d – barrels per day
BLM – Bureau of Land Management
BPA – U.S. Bonneville Power Administration
BR – Biennial Report
Btu – British thermal unit
________________________________________
C
CAA – U.S. Clean Air Act
CAAQS – California Ambient Air Quality Standards
CalEPA – California Environmental Protection Agency
CALTRANS – California Department of Transportation
CAPCOA – California Air Pollution Control Officers Association
CARB – California Air Resources Board
CBC – California Building Code
CCAA – California Clean Air Act
CDF – California Department of Forestry
CDFG – California Department of Fish and Game
CEC – California Energy Commission (Please note that the Energy Commission prefers to not use the acronym “CEC” because of possible confusion with other agencies or companies with the same acronym. Use Energy Commission or just Commission instead.) CEERT – Coalition for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies
CEM – continuous emissions monitoring
CEQA – California Environmental Quality Act (pronouced SEE-qwah)
CESA – California Endangered Species Act
CFB – circulating fluidized bed
CFCs – chloro-fluorocarbons
cfm – cubic feet per minute
CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
cfs – cubic feet per second
CLUP – Comprehensive Land Use Plan
CNEL – Community Noise Equivalent Level
CO – carbon monoxide
CO2 – carbon dioxide
COI – California Oregon Intertie
CPCN – Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity
CPM – Compliance Project Manager
CPUC – California Public Utilities Commission
CT – combustion turbine – current transformer
CTG – combustion turbine generator
CURE – California Unions for Reliable Energy
________________________________________
D
dB – decibel
dB(A) – decibel on the A scale
DC – direct current
DCTL – Double Circuit Transmission Line
DEIR – Draft Environmental Impact Report
DEIS – Draft Environmental Impact Statement
DFG – California Department of Fish and Game
DHS – California Department of Health Services
DISCO – Distribution Company
DOC – Determination of Compliance
DOE – U.S. Department of Energy
DSM – demand side management
DTC – Desert Tortoise Council
DWR – (California) Department of Water Resources
________________________________________
E
EDF – Environmental Defense Fund
Edison – Southern California Edison Company
EDR – Energy Development Report
EFS&EPD – Energy Facilities Siting and Environmental Protection Division
EIA – U.S. Energy Information Administration (statistical arm of U.S. Department of Energy)
EIR – Environmental Impact Report
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement
ELFIN – Electric Utility Financial and Production Simulation Model
EMF – electric and magnetic fields
EOR – East of River (Colorado River)
EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPRI – Electric Power Research Institute
ER – Electricity Report
ERC – emission reduction credit {offset}
ESA – Endangered Species Act (Federal) – Environmental Site Assessment
ETSR – Energy Technologies Status Report
________________________________________
F
FAA – Federal Aviation Administration
FBE – Functional Basis Earthquake
FCAA – Federal Clean Air Act
FCC – Federal Communications Commission
FEIR – Final Environmental Impact Report
FIP – Federal Implementation Plan
FONSI – Finding of No-Significant Impact
FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FSA – Final Staff Assessment
G
GEP – good engineering practice
GIS – gas insulated switchgear – geographic information system
gpd – gallons per day
gpm – gallons per minute
GW – gigawatt
GWh – gigawatt hour
________________________________________
H
H2S – hydrogen sulfide
HCP – habitat conservation plan
HHV – higher heating value
HRA – Health Risk Assessment
HRSG – heat recovery steam generator
HV – high voltage
HVAC – heating, ventilating and air conditioning
________________________________________
I
IAR – Issues and Alternatives Report
IEA – International Energy Agency
IEEE – Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers
IID – Imperial Irrigation District
IIR – Issues Identification Report
IOU – Investor-Owned Utility
IS – Initial Study
ISO – Independent System Operator
________________________________________
J
JES – Joint Environmental Statement
________________________________________
K
KCAPCD – Kern County Air Pollution Control District
KCM – thousand circular mils (also KCmil) (electricity conductor)
KGRA – known geotheral resource area
km – kilometer
KOP – key observation point
KRCC – Kern River Cogeneration Company
kV – kilovolt
KVAR – kilovolt-ampere reactive
kW – kilowatt
kWe – kilowatt, electric
kWh – kilowatt hour
kWp – peak kilowatt
________________________________________
L
LADWP – Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
LAER – Lowest Achievable Emission Rate
lbs – pounds
lbs/hr – pounds per hour
lbs/MMBtu – pounds per million British thermal units
LCAQMD – Lake County Air Quality Management District
LMUD – Lassen Municipal Utility District
LORS – laws, ordinances, regulations and standards
________________________________________
M
m (M) – meter, million, mega, milli or thousand
MBUAPCD – Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District
MCE – maximum credible earthquake
MCF – thousand cubic feet
MCL – Maximum Containment Level
MCM – thousand circular mil (electricity conductor)
g/m3 – micro grams (10-6 grams) per cubic meter
MEID – Merced Irrigation District
MG – milli gauss
mgd – million gallons per day
MID – Modesto Irrigation District
MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
MPE – maximum probable earthquake
m/s – meters per second
MS – Mail Station
MVAR – megavolt-ampere reactive
MW – megawatt (million watts)
MWA – Mojave Water Agency
MWD – Metropolitan Water District
MWh – megawatt hour
MWp – peak megawatt
________________________________________
N
N-1 – one transmission circuit out
N-2 – two transmission circuits out
NAAQS – National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NCPA – Northern California Power Agency
NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act (federal “equivalent” of CEQA)
NERC – National Electric Reliability Council
NESHAPS – National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
NMHC – nonmethane hydrocarbons
NO – nitrogen oxide
NOI – Notice of Intention
NOL – North of Lugo
NOx – nitrogen oxides
NO2 – nitrogen dioxide
NOP – Notice of Preparation (of EIR)
NOV – Notice of Violation
NRDC – Natural Resources Defense Council
NSCAPCD – Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District
NSPS – New Source Performance Standards
NSR – New Source Review
________________________________________
O
O3 – Ozone
OASIS – Open Access Same-Time Information System
OCB – oil circuit breaker
OCSG – Operating Capability Study Group
O&M – operation and maintenance
OSB – Oversight Board
OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or Act)
________________________________________
P
PG&E – Pacific Gas & Electric Company
PDCI – Pacific DC Intertie
PHC(S) – Prehearing Conference (Statement)
PIFUA – Federal Powerplant & Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978
PM – Project Manager – particulate matter
PM10 – particulate matter 10 microns and smaller in diameter
PM2.5 – particulate matter 2.5 microns and smaller in diameter
ppb – parts per billion
ppm – parts per million
ppmvd – parts per million by volume, dry
ppt – parts per thousand
PRC – California Public Resources Code
PSD – Prevention of Significant Deterioration
PSRC – Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative
PT – potential transformer
PTO – Permit to Operate
PU – per unit
PUC – (California) Public Utilities Commission
PURPA – Federal Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act of 1978
PV – Palo Verde – photovoltaic
PX – Power Exchange
________________________________________
Q
QA/QC – Quality Assurance/Quality Control
QF – Qualifying Facility
________________________________________
R
RACT – Reasonably Available Control Technology
RDF – refuse derived fuel
ROC – Report of Conversation – reactive organic compounds
ROG – reactive organic gas
ROW – right of way
RWQCB – Regional Water Quality Control Board
________________________________________
S
SACOG – Sacramento Area Council of Governments
SANBAG – San Bernardino Association of Governments
SANDAG – San Diego Association of Governments
SANDER – San Diego Energy Recovery Project
SB – Senate Bill
SCAB – South Coast Air Basin
SEGS – Solar Electric Generating Station
SCAG – Southern California Association of Governments
SCAQMD – South Coast Air Quality Management District
SCE – Southern California Edison Company
SCFM – standard cubic feet per minute
SCH – State Clearing House
SCIT – Southern California Import Transmission
SCR – Selective Catalytic Reduction
SCTL – single circuit transmission line
SDCAPCD – San Diego County Air Pollution Control District
SDG&E – San Diego Gas & Electric Company
SEPCO – Sacramento Ethanol and Power Cogeneration Project
SIC – Standard industrial classification
SIP – State Implementation Plan
SJVAB – San Joaquin Valley Air Basin
SJVAQMD – San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Management District
SMAQMD – Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
SMUD – Sacramento Municipal Utility District
SMUDGEO – SMUD Geothermal
SNCR – Selective Noncatalytic Reduction
SNG – Synthetic Natural Gas
SO2 – sulfur dioxide
SOx – sulfur oxides
SO4 – sulfates
SoCAL – Southern California Gas Company
SONGS – San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
SPP – Sierra Pacific Power
STIG – steam injected gas turbine
SWP – State Water Project
SWRCB – State Water Resources Control Board
________________________________________
T
TAC – Toxic Air Contaminant
TBtu – trillion Btu
TCF – trillion cubic feet
TCM – transportation control measure
TDS – total dissolved solids
TE – transmission engineering
TEOR – Thermally Enhanced Oil Recovery
TID – Turlock Irrigation District
TL – transmission line or lines
T-Line – transmission line
TOG – total organic gases
TPD – tons per day
TPY – tons per year
TS&N – Transmission Safety and Nuisance
TSE – Transmission System Engineering
TSIN – Transmission Services Information Network
TSP – total suspended particulate matter
________________________________________
U
UBC – Uniform Building Code
UDC – Utility Displacement Credits
UDF – Utility Displacement Factor
UEG – Utility Electric Generator
USC(A) – United States Code (Annotated)
USCOE – U.S. Corps of Engineers
USEPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
USFS – U.S. Forest Service
USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS – U.S. Geological Survey
________________________________________
V
VCAPCD – Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
VOC – volatile organic compounds
________________________________________
W
W – Watt
WAA – Warren-Alquist Act
WAPA – Western Area Power Authority
WEPEX – Western Energy Power Exchange
WICF – Western Interconnection Forum
WIEB – Western Interstate Energy Board
WOR – West of River (Colorado River)
WRTA – Western Region Transmission Association
WSCC – Western System Coordination Council
WSPP – Western System Power Pool
