Residential High-Performance Windows Measure Package Development

This project aims to develop a measure package for residential windows. With the recent California Decision 23-04-035 that outlines a path for eliminating gas incentives, windows are considered a “gas exempt” measure due to providing gas savings without incentivizing a gas appliance. The California (CA) Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) have been asked by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to prioritize gas-exempt measures, such as high-performance windows, and have existing energy efficiency (EE) programs that can utilize a measure package once it is developed. This proposed measure package also plays a large role in supporting equity programs and will include categories specific to equity programs.    The CA IOUs previously developed a window measure package, but the findings are outdated and inactive. Residential window technology is commercially available and has become more cost-effective over the years. The lower costs provide an opportunity to revive and update the measure with current market data. The measure package will calculate the estimated energy savings associated with high-performance residential windows in both single-family and multifamily applications across CA’s 16 climate zones. The proposed project will also compile all data needed for measure package submission to California Technical Forum (CalTF) including baseline efficiency, measure efficiency, eligibility criteria, measure application type, building types applicable, effective useful life, incremental measure cost, and first-year savings.