DOCKETED Docket Number: 19-BSTD-03

Project Title: 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking

TN #: 236975

Document Title: Rob Koslowsky Comment re 2022 Energy Code Pre-

Rulemaking

Description: N/A

Filer: System

Organization: Rob Koslowsky

Submitter Role: Public

Submission Date: 3/4/2021 10:25:22 AM

Docketed Date: 3/4/2021

Comment Received From: Rob Koslowsky Submitted On: 3/4/2021

Docket Number: 19-BSTD-03

Rob Koslowsky Comment re 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking

To Whom It May Concern: For Docket #: 19-BSTD-03 Project Title: 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking

I request that the 2019 Building Code be amended to remove the reach code requirement to force rooftop solar and eliminate the all-electric mandate. To ensure

cost-effectiveness and also resiliency in the face of rotating blackouts and PSPSs, a mixed-fuel residence is optimal.

I also request that residential battery backup not be made mandatory in the building code, especially for homeowners, due to the added tens of thousands of dollars in cost

and ongoing maintenance and replacement over the life of a mortgage. A homeowner should be afforded the choice not to do so or have a better economic alternative such

as natural gas backup generators. For the details and economics, please refer to the attached file: Natural Gas as Backup

Is Better than Solar plus battery_RKK_Oct 2020.

Thank you for your consideration, ….Rob

Rob Koslowsky Cloverdale, California

Author of The Tubbs Fire. Also author of The Upstart Startup & Breach of Trust. Author's page

Additional submitted attachment is included below.

R.K.Koslowsky October2020 1

NaturalGasasBackupIsaBetterAlternativetoSolar+Battery“Unfortunately,thenewnormalisuponus.Youeitheruse[theTubbs]firetoforge

somethingbetteroryougetburntbyit.”–JamesGoreSonomaCountySupervisor,whoisleadingtheCounty’srecoveryandresiliency

efforts,April10,2019[1]ItalkedwithEliott,anenergyandsustainabilityanalyst,onOctober22,2020.HeworksfortheCountyofSonoma’sEnergyandSustainabilityDivision.Eliottlookedintomyquestionaboutrebatesasaresultofmakingmyhomeresilientaftermyfamilyrebuiltourlivespost-Tubbsfire.Imusthavemisunderstoodthecounty’smonikerregarding“equityresiliency”andthelanguagearound“self-generation”incentivesthatIreadaboutinarecentSonomaMagazinearticle.Itturnsoutthesewordsarereservedforaverynarrow,singlesourceofenergyresiliency(solar+batterybackup).Themorecost-effectiveandresilientnaturalgasbackupgeneratoralternativehasbeenexcludedforconsideration.IsSolar+BatteryReallytheOnlyWaytoGo?Inthesummerof2019,Ievaluatedsolar+batterybackupsystems(upto23hoursofbackup)frombothTeslaandEnphaseEnergy.Ifoundthattheywerenotagoodresilientsolutionwhencomparedtoanaturalgas-basedwhole-housegenerator.Thecostforsolar+batterycameinat$50,000beforerebates.Evenwithouttheassociatedfinancialincentives,thecostforaninstalled,whole-house,naturalgasgeneratorcameinat$14,000.WefoundnorebatesavailablefromPG&EorSonomaCleanPowerandnonefromthecountyortheCPUC(SGIP),etc.Wewentaheadwithourpurchasesincenaturalgasismuchcleanerandsaferthanbuyingasmalldiesel-orgasoline-poweredgeneratorthatonlysupportsacoupleofACoutlets(maybeafewlights,acellphonecharger,andarefrigerator),butcertainlynotahome’sair-conditioningsystemoranelectricvehiclecharger.Idiscoveredthatthenaturalgassolutionofferssuperiorresiliencetosolar+batteryforanumberofreasons,whichIenumeratedin2019,priortomydecisiontopurchasefromLeeteGeneratorsinSantaRosa:

1. Cost-effectiveby1/3to1/2relativetothegovernment-sponsoredalternative

2. Resilientbecausethenaturalgasserviceremains,hencethegeneratorkeepsrunning,whentheelectricpoweristerminatedbyarotatingblackout,gridfailure,orPG&E’sinfamousPSPSs

3. Continuousoperationbeyondthe2-to23-hourlimitofferedbythesolar+batteryalternative

4. Locatedoutsidethehomenearthenaturalgasandelectricservicemeters,while“noisy”back-upbatterysystemsmustbelocatedinsidethestructure(usuallythegarage)withtheaddedexpenseofnoise-reducing,soundinsulationpadsanddamperstoreduceinteriorwallvibrations[2]

R.K.Koslowsky October2020 2

5. Survivablebecausethenaturalgassupplycontinuesflowingevenwhenthesolar+batterysystemiscompromisedasthesunisblackedoutbysmoke-filled,ash-ladenskiesorcloudyweather

6. Compact,sincenaturalgassolutionsdonotrequirerooftopsorgaragespacetobesacrificed.Bothback-upbatterysystemsandelectricheatpumpsconsumehundredsofsquarefeetofgaragespace,whilelessthan10feetofexteriorspaceisrequiredforapad-mounted[3]whole-house,naturalgasgenerator.

ItdawnedonmethatmyKohlerwhole-house,naturalgasgeneratorIputinplacequalifiesas“self-generation.”Theunitefficientlyconvertsnaturalgasintoelectricityduringanytypeofelectricaloutage,generatingourownelectricpoweronsite.Myneighboroptedforasimilarwhole-house,naturalgassystemprovidedbyGeneractodothesamething.Suchcost-effectivenessshouldbeviewedasthemodelforensuring“equityresiliency”asevenlargersuchnaturalgasgeneratorscouldbeusedformulti-familydwellings,schools,orgovernmentbuildingssupportingessentialservices.TheEconomicsforNaturalGasareSuperiortoSolar+BatteryforResiliencyandMoreIdevelopedthefollowingtableafterfurtherreviewofthedocumentsfurnishedbythecounty.Itcomparesthreelocalcasestudiesoffolksgoingsolar+batterybackupversusmynaturalgasalternative.Thewhole-house,naturalgasgeneratorbackup,

R.K.Koslowsky October2020 3

whichIoptedfor,isthemostcost-effectivewaytogo,byuptothreeordersofmagnitude.It’sevengreaterifaGeneracgeneratorisusedanditcouldbeevenmoreeconomicalifrebatesforallresilientsolutionsweregrantedequitably.

AsIhighlightedearlier,itseemsthatthecountyisdoingadisservicetoitsresidentsbybackingasinglesolution–solar+batteryandexcludingnaturalgas–insupportofhomeownerresiliencyandenergysurvivability.SincemostSonomaCountyhomesalreadyhavenaturalgas(orpropane(LPG)tanksinmoreruralareasofSonomaCounty),itseemsthatanother(andbetter)solutionwouldberebatesand/orcreditsforwhole-house,naturalgasgenerators.Towit,ahome’sairconditioningcanoperate,forexample,whenthenaturalgasgeneratorprotectshomeownersfrompoweroutages,unlikesolar+batterybackupsystems.Therearenumerousothersrestrictionsonhouseholdloadswhensolarbatteriesareused.Partofthiscouldbeduetothefactthatalmosteverysolar+batteryinstallationisacustom-designed,non-standardprojectrequiringrooftop(orbackyard)andgaragespace,plusaccesstotheexteriorwallsandelectricpanels.Withaproperly-sizednaturalgasgenerator,youdeployitonapadclosetotheexteriorgasmeterandelectricpanels.

R.K.Koslowsky October2020 4

PhotoandgraphiccourtesyR.K.Koslowsky,October2020

Withthisinmind,I’veaskedthecountytoworkwiththeCPUCandStatetorevisithowoursuperiorresiliencysolutioncouldqualifyforacountyorstaterebate.“To[SupervisorJames]Gore,makingSonomaCountyandallcommunitiesresilient

afteradisastershouldbeatoppriority.‘Idareanybodytolookaroundtheircommunityandthinkthatthisisnotthemostimportantworkyoucanbedoingasa

publicservantorcommunityadvocate.’”–SonomaCountybuildsframeworkforresiliencyafterdestructivewildfires,NadineOno,April

10,2019[1]NewstidbitregardingtheroleofCarbonCaptureandStorage+maintainingaJapan’s

EnergyIndependence:

“Japanwillbecarbonneutralby2050,itsprimeministersaidonOctober26,2020,makinganambitiouspledgetosharplyacceleratethecountry’sglobalwarming

targets,evenasitplanstobuildmorethanadozencoal-burningpowerplantsinthecomingyears.”

–ThePressDemocratnewsservices,October27,2020,p.A6[1]SonomaCountybuildsframeworkforresiliencyafterdestructivewildfires,NadineOno,April10,2019:https://cafwd.org/reporting/entry-new/sonoma-county-builds-framework-for-resiliency-after-destructive-wildfires

R.K.Koslowsky October2020 5

[2]Back-upbatteriesarenoisierthannaturalgasgenerators.“Somearereportinghigher-than-expectedoperatingvolumes[withTesla’sPowerwall].OneGermancustomermeasuredanoiselevelofmorethan80decibelscomingfromaPowerwallinstalledinhishomeinFebruary.Thatisroughlyequivalenttothenoisemadebygarbagedisposal.”MeanwhiletheKohlerwholehouse,naturalgasgeneratoroperates(maximumoutput)atamuchquieterlevelof69decibels.Onsuchalogarithmicscale,thisisabigdeal.Further,thenaturalgasgeneratorsareinstalledoutside,notinsidethehouse,furtherattenuatinghouseholdnoiselevels.Source:https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/is-teslas-powerwall-luster-already-fading[3]Somehomeowners,likeme,leftextraroomonanexpandedconcretepadforafutureLPGtankasasecondback-upmeasureintheunlikelyeventthatboththeelectricityandthenaturalgasareturnedoffduetoanearthquake.