8-b. 22-1967 Amendments to Chapter 55 - Unified Development Code (UDC) to add a new Energy section to Article IV: Development Standards that would prohibit natural gas connections in all new construction, and substantially renovated or expanded buildings. Staff Recommendation: Postponement
A badly needed ordinance, but there’s no need to allow a gas line for emergency backup gas generators. It will just add cost. These are very tight buildings. The state is poised to revise its energy code to include most of the 2021 IECC. So residential builders will need to install continuous exterior wall foam insulation for basic R-value compliance. Also, attic insulation goes from R-49 to R-60, slab depth doubles to 4 feet, the code sets a required Solar Heat Gain Coefficient for windows and a maximum fenestration U factor. These buildings hold their heat. Plus there should be solar and battery storage in all-electric new construction. Maybe not enough to run a heat pump, but enough for supplemental wall heaters to outlast the outage. There also should be no exception for commercial kitchens. Many restaurants now use induction cooking, which is superior to gas in cooking precision, air quality and fire risk. But yes, include a strict appeals process to approve gas in rare cases.
A badly needed ordinance, but there’s no need to allow a gas line for emergency backup gas generators. It will just add cost. These are very tight buildings. The state is poised to revise its energy code to include most of the 2021 IECC. So residential builders will need to install continuous exterior wall foam insulation for basic R-value compliance. Also, attic insulation goes from R-49 to R-60, slab depth doubles to 4 feet, the code sets a required Solar Heat Gain Coefficient for windows and a maximum fenestration U factor. These buildings hold their heat. Plus there should be solar and battery storage in all-electric new construction. Maybe not enough to run a heat pump, but enough for supplemental wall heaters to outlast the outage. There also should be no exception for commercial kitchens. Many restaurants now use induction cooking, which is superior to gas in cooking precision, air quality and fire risk. But yes, include a strict appeals process to approve gas in rare cases.