Understanding Title 24: What the Energy Compliance Report Means for Your ADU Project

At CentrePoint Construction Inc., we take pride in building homes that are not only beautiful and functional but also energy compliant. If you’re planning to build an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), addition, or new home construction in California, you’ve likely heard the term “Title 24.”

So what is it, and what does your Certificate of Compliance really mean? Let’s break it down.

What Is Title 24?

Title 24 is part of the California Building Standards Code. It outlines strict energy efficiency standards for residential and nonresidential buildings to reduce statewide energy use, cut emissions, and support climate goals.

For homeowners, that means your project must meet or exceed certain performance metrics for:

• Heating and cooling systems

• Insulation and roofing

• Windows and doors

• Indoor air quality and ventilation

• Water heating

• Solar readiness (for new builds)

  
  

What Is a CF1R Report?

The CF1R-PRF-01-E form is a Certificate of Compliance under the Performance Method, one of the ways to prove your design meets Title 24 requirements.

We recently submitted this form for an ADU project in North Hollywood. Here’s what it tells us:

• Detached ADU 1,114 sq. ft. 2 bedroom of conditioned space. Climate Zone 9 (Los Angeles County)

• Project Scope: Ground-up new construction

Energy Compliance Summary: In-Depth

To determine whether your project complies with Title 24, we compare the Proposed Design to a Standard Design (the baseline set by California). This is measured using a scoring system called Energy Design Rating (EDR).

Lower EDR = Better energy performance

Here’s how the Gentry Ave project performed:

Category	Standard Design	Proposed Design	Margin	Explanation
Space Heating	3.23 TDV/ft²	5.73 TDV/ft²	-2.50	Slightly more energy used than standard
Space Cooling	16.03 TDV/ft²	15.80 TDV/ft²	+0.23	Slightly better than the standard
IAQ Ventilation	4.09 TDV/ft²	4.09 TDV/ft²	0.00	Meets the standard exactly
Water Heating	30.93 TDV/ft²	27.36 TDV/ft²	+3.57	Strong performance — well below standard
Total EDR	54.28 TDV/ft²	52.98 TDV/ft²	+1.30	PASS — Project is 1.3 points better

What This Means for You

Even though the heat pump system uses slightly more energy for heating, it's balanced out by:

• Highly efficient tankless water heating

• Strong cooling performance

• Efficient building envelope and ventilation

The result? Full Title 24 compliance — with room to spare.

Required Energy Features

To hit these performance numbers, the following energy-efficient features were incorporated:

• Cool Roof

• R-30 Attic Insulation

• Low U-Factor Dual Pane Windows (0.29 U-factor)

• Variable Capacity Heat Pump (VCHP)

• Indoor Air Quality Ventilation System

• Energy-efficient lighting & appliances

What Needs to Be Verified?

A certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater is required to verify that all components were installed properly. For this project, that includes:

• Quality Insulation Installation (QII)

• Verified SEER & HSPF Ratings (heat pump performance)

• Indoor air ventilation airflow

• Thermostat placement and fan operation

• Ductless units fully inside conditioned space

• Range hood exhaust system

These verifications are mandatory before final city sign-off and certificate of occupancy.

Here’s a page-by-page breakdown example of the Title 24 Residential Performance Compliance Report from one of our previous projects in North Hollywood.

This report outlines how the project met California’s 2022 Energy Efficiency Standards using the performance method, including key metrics such as HVAC efficiency, insulation quality, glazing values, and HERS verification requirements.

Page 1 – General Project Information

• Project Address:  North Hollywood, CA 91606

• Project Type: New construction of a detached ADU with 2 bedrooms and 1 story.

• Conditioned Floor Area: 1,114 sq ft

• Compliance Method: Performance-based (software modeled)

• Climate Zone: 9

• Software Used: EnergyPro v9.2

• Glazing %: 10.53%

• Fuel Type: Natural Gas

Page 2 – Compliance Results

• Status: The building complies using the performance method.

• Verification Needed: Yes, a HERS rater must verify specific features (see Page 4).

• Special Features: Certain energy-saving features are required (see Page 4).

Page 3 – Energy Use Summary

• Comparison of Proposed vs. Standard Design:

  • Complies with a positive margin of 1.3 in TDV Energy (Time-Dependent Valuation).

  • Water heating contributes most of the energy savings.

  • Space heating slightly underperforms but offset by other systems.

Page 4 – Energy Use Intensity & HERS Requirements

• EUI: Proposed energy use is 3.7% better than standard.

• Special Features Required:

  • Cool roof

  • Roof insulation

  • Variable capacity heat pump

• HERS Verified Items:

  • Quality insulation (QII)

  • Verified SEER, HSPF, IAQ, range hood

  • Thermostat in large zones

  • Ductless units in conditioned spaces

Page 5 – Building Envelope Components

• Walls: All walls R-13 insulation

• Roof: R-30 insulation with cool roof and radiant barrier

• Windows: U-factor 0.29, SHGC 0.21, bug screens on all

• Attic: Ventilated with radiant barrier

• Slab Floor: Uninsulated concrete slab

Page 6 – Glazing Details & Wall Assemblies

• Window Areas: Listed by orientation (north, east, south, west)

• Opaque Surface Construction:

  • Includes cavity insulation and finishing materials (stucco, gypsum)

• Thermal Values (U-Factor): Meet prescriptive values for walls and roofs

Page 7 – Building Systems

• HERS Inspections:

  • QII: Required

  • Water Heater: Gas tankless, 0.95 UEF, 200,000 Btu/hr

• Water Heating Verification: Not required for pipe insulation or recirculation

Page 8 – HVAC System

• Type: Variable capacity heat pump (ductless mini split)

• Efficiency: SEER 20.5 / HSPF 10

• HERS Verifications Required:

  • Refrigerant charge

  • Heating and cooling capacities

  • Wall-mounted thermostat

  • Zoned control and ductless indoor units

    
    

Performance Ratings

• SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio): 20.5

  Measures cooling efficiency over a typical cooling season. Much higher than the minimum California requirement (usually around 14–15), indicating excellent cooling efficiency.

• EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio): 11.5

  Measures cooling efficiency at peak load conditions.

• HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor): 10

  Indicates high heating efficiency. The minimum required in California is around 8.2–8.5, so this system performs well above baseline.

• Capacity:

  • Heating at 47°F: 24,000 Btu/hr

  • Heating at 17°F: 14,000 Btu/hr

  This shows the system maintains solid heating capacity even in colder conditions.

Page 9 – Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

• Fan Performance:

  • 56 CFM

  • 0.35 W/CFM efficiency

  • Type: Exhaust

  • HERS verification required

  • No energy recovery or fault indicator

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Title 24 HERS Verification Report – North Hollywood

This project has achieved full Title 24 energy code compliance using the Performance Compliance Method, and all required measures were field-verified on site by a certified HERS rater inspector. The final documentation was submitted through the CHEERS HERS Registry Portal

This project has achieved full Title 24 compliance using performance-based modeling and was verified through the CHEERS HERS registry.

✅ Energy Compliance Complete

✅ HERS Testing Verified (HVAC, Insulation, Ventilation)

✅ Installed Features Include:

• High-SEER Variable Capacity Heat Pump

• Tankless Water Heater

• Quality Insulation Installation (QII)

• Energy-Efficient Windows & Lighting

All documentation, including CF1R, CF2R, and CF3R certificates, were successfully submitted and approved in July 2024.The verified scope includes:

Why Title 24 Compliance Matters

• Avoid permit delays

• Prevent Certificate of Occupancy setbacks and costly rework

• Reduce long-term utility bills

• Speed up final inspections

• Boost your property’s resale value

• Ensure a cleaner, healthier living environment for occupants

Whether you're a homeowner, investor, or builder, Title 24 ensures your property meets California’s strict energy-efficiency standards making it energy-responsible and future-proof.

At CentrePoint Construction Inc., we manage the entire process from energy modeling and Title 24 documentation to construction and HERS inspections.

We ensure your ADU, home addition, or new construction project:

• Passes Title 24 standards the first time

• Includes cost-effective energy upgrades

• Is built with quality craftsmanship and full code compliance during every phase of your project.