LANCASTER – The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved new building code standards in their bid to champion the state’s goals for energy-efficient development.
The council adopted an ordinance that amends the 2013 edition of the California Building Standards Code and places those standards within the Lancaster Municipal Code.
The city also adopted a resolution that presents the findings for modifying the 2013 California Building, Residential and Electrical Codes – stating the changes were necessary due to the climatic conditions of the city’s geographical location.
Part of the resolution includes adding a requirement to the 2013 California Energy Code that calls for implementing solar energy systems into new residential construction – an action previously approved by the City Council in April 2013.
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Director of Public Works Robert C. Neal presented the ordinance and resolution, while giving special notice to the city’s adoption of solar energy systems into new dwelling units.
“What I would ask is your consideration for the new building codes, and in particular our newest amendment, which is the solar energy systems for residential developments,” Neal said in his recommendation.
Neal said the solar capacity the city is proposing would provide distributive power to create net zero energy homes – that is, homes that produce more energy than they consume, while averaging zero carbon emissions.
“It will help stabilize our electricity rate,” he said. “In fact, our building codes are moving in the direction where we will see mandated by the state that’s net zero homes; the target date for it to be in building codes is 2020.”
Mayor R. Rex Parris agreed with the Public Works Director that Lancaster was leading the state in energy-efficient building codes, then asked, “Any doubt in your mind that we can be net zero as a city in the next five years?”
“I believe we will be net zero electricity for certain within the next five years,” Neal said.
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To modify the 2013 California Building Codes, the city was required to adopt a resolution stating that the changes were necessary due to the climatic conditions of the city’s geographical location, recommended by the city’s Engineering Division.
Citing extreme temperatures in both summer and winter, along with “prevailing winds,” the resolution states that “Lancaster is a prime locality to experience snow, flooding, heat wave, drought and devastating fires,” claiming that “… it is therefore reasonably necessary because of the above mentioned climatic conditions to adopt, change, add and/ or modify the above mentioned sections and chapters of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.”
For more information, visit the city online at http://www.cityoflancasterca.org.
