Commission discussing energy efficiency ordinance for some of city's residential buildings ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

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If an ordinance under consideration at City Hall is eventually passed, older homes, such as these in South Palm Springs, would be subject to new requirements when and if owners sought to do certain work.

A Palm Springs commission is moving forward with crafting a new energy efficiency upgrade ordinance that would require some building owners seeking permits for renovations to implement energy-saving measures, focusing on buildings built before 2011.

The Palm Springs Sustainability Commission discussed the proposed ordinance at its regular October meeting, with Sustainability Director LP McCloy noting, “This is the first time that we’ll be speaking to the current city council about a measure to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is a significant part of our climate action roadmap.”

The ordinance targets residential buildings, which account for 25% of Palm Springs’ greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2018 inventory. Of particular focus will be the 10,000 residential buildings in the city built before 1978. Many are not adequately conditioned for current weather patterns.

Under the proposed ordinance, homeowners applying for permits for alterations, additions, or modifications to walls and HVAC systems would be required to implement mandatory energy-saving measures. These include LED lighting upgrades and water heating package improvements.

Additional measures would be required based on the building’s age and the project’s value. The ordinance uses a cost-effective scoring system to determine which measures are most appropriate for each project.

The ordinance includes exceptions for low-income residents and those receiving care. Future programs are planned to assist these groups in improving their homes’ energy efficiency.

While the impact of the ordinance may seem small compared to the city’s goal of reducing emissions 40% below 1990 levels, officials view it as an important first step.

The commission is still working on finalizing the ordinance text with the city’s legal team. McCloy anticipates having a draft ready for review by the commission’s meeting this month.

Former commissioner David Freedman, now the program manager for energy and sustainability at the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, played a key role in developing the ordinance. He explained that the measure is based on similar rules adopted by other California cities and counties.

“What you will see next month is hopefully the full draft of the ordinance,” Freedman told commission members. He added that the ordinance would need to be deemed cost-effective by the California Energy Commission before adoption.

The commission plans to bring the ordinance to the Palm Springs City Council for a first reading in January. Before then, they will work on educating residents about the new requirements and potential costs. The city’s sustainability department is considering various outreach methods, including updating their website and developing a “wizard” tool to help homeowners understand how to comply with the ordinance.