Section N1105 (R405) Simulated Performance Alternative (Performance)

Compliance based on simulated energy performance requires that a proposed residence (proposed design) be shown to have an annual energy cost that is less than or equal to the annual energy cost of the standard reference design. Energy prices shall be taken from a source approved by the building official, such as the Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration's State Energy Data System Prices and Expenditures reports. Building officials shall be permitted to require time-of-use pricing in energy cost calculations.

Exception: The energy use based on source energy expressed in Btu (J) or Btu per square foot (J/m²) of conditioned floor area shall be permitted to be substituted for the energy cost. The source energy multiplier for electricity shall be 3.16. The source energy multiplier for fuels other than electricity shall be 1.1.

Compliance software tools shall generate a report that documents that the proposed design complies with Section N1105.3. A compliance report on the proposed design shall be submitted with the application for the building permit. Upon completion of the building, a compliance report based on the as-built condition of the building shall be submitted to the building official before a certificate of occupancy is issued. Batch sampling of buildings to determine energy code compliance shall only be allowed for stacked multiple-family units.

Compliance reports shall include information in accordance with Sections N1105.4.2.1 and N1105.4.2.2. Where the proposed design of a building could be built on different sites where the cardinal orientation of the building on each site is different, compliance of the proposed design for the purposes of the application for the building permit shall be based on the worst-case orientation, worst-case configuration, worst-case building air leakage and worst-case duct leakage. Such worst-case parameters shall be used as inputs to the compliance software for energy analysis.

A compliance report submitted with the application for building permit shall include the following:

1. Building street address, or other building site identification.
2. A statement indicating that the proposed design complies with Section N1105.3.
3. An inspection checklist documenting the building component characteristics of the proposed design as indicated in Table N1105.5.2(1). The inspection checklist shall show results for both the standard reference design and the proposed design with user inputs to the compliance software to generate the results.
4. A site-specific energy analysis report that is in compliance with Section N1105.3.
5. The name of the individual performing the analysis and generating the report.
6. The name and version of the compliance software tool.

A compliance report submitted for obtaining the certificate of occupancy shall include the following:

1. Building street address, or other building site identification.
2. A statement indicating that the as-built building complies with Section N1105.3.
3. A certificate indicating that the building passes the performance matrix for code compliance and indicating the energy saving features of the buildings.
4. A site-specific energy analysis report that is in compliance with Section N1105.3.
5. The name of the individual performing the analysis and generating the report.
6. The name and version of the compliance software tool.

The building official shall be permitted to require the following documents:

1. Documentation of the building component characteristics of the standard reference design.
2. A certification signed by the builder providing the building component characteristics of the proposed design as given in Table N1105.5.2(1).
3. Documentation of the actual values used in the software calculations for the proposed design.