Title 24, ECC & HERS glossary.

Single-family design-stage compliance documents. They describe the proposed building or alteration and the energy features the project is required to install and, when applicable, verify. Generally prepared for permit review by the responsible designer, energy consultant, or documentation author. Single-family CEC forms ↗

Single-family installation documents completed by the person responsible for the installed work. They document that the installed features match the approved compliance requirements and provide information used by the ECC rater.

Single-family verification documents completed by a certified ECC rater after required field verification or diagnostic testing. A sample PDF is informational; registered project forms are handled through the approved ECC Provider registry.

Design-stage compliance documents for low-rise multifamily projects under the 2025 form structure. When the project includes ECC measures, applicable forms must follow CEC registration requirements. Low-rise multifamily CEC forms ↗

Documents installed low-rise multifamily systems and features. Registration depends on the form: the CEC notes that numbered LMCI forms and forms ending in “-H” have specific registration requirements.

Documents ECC-rater verification for low-rise multifamily measures. LMCV forms must be registered through an approved ECC Provider.

Design-stage compliance documents for nonresidential, hotel/motel, and applicable high-rise multifamily projects. They show how the proposed design complies with the Energy Code. Nonresidential CEC forms ↗

Documents that applicable nonresidential systems, equipment, and features were installed in accordance with the approved compliance documents and Energy Code requirements.

Documents required acceptance testing. Lighting-controls and mechanical NRCA forms generally require a qualified field technician or Certified Acceptance Test Technician working through an approved ATTCP; this is different from ordinary ECC-rater verification.

Documents applicable ECC field verification for nonresidential, hotel/motel, or high-rise multifamily measures. NRCV forms must be registered with an approved ECC Provider.

The design-side record describing how the proposed project will comply. It is normally part of the permit submittal and controls which installation and verification documents are later required.

The installer-side record confirming what was actually installed and accepting responsibility for the installation information.

The ECC-rater record of required field observations and diagnostic test results.

The record of required nonresidential acceptance testing by an appropriately qualified acceptance-test technician or field technician.

The state agency responsible for adopting and supporting California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards and approving ECC Providers.

The 2025 program for field verification and diagnostic testing used to demonstrate Energy Code compliance. It replaces the former HERS compliance-demonstration structure for the 2025 code cycle.

A CEC-approved organization that trains and oversees ECC raters and operates an approved residential data registry. CEC provider information ↗

An independent, certified field professional who performs required observations and diagnostic testing and completes applicable certificates of verification through an approved provider.

HERS is the familiar legacy term still widely used for this work. For 2025 Energy Code compliance, the current program and professional terminology is ECC Program and ECC Rater.

California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services, a CEC-approved ECC Provider whose registry can support applicable 2025 projects, raters, and compliance-document workflows.

The building department or other enforcement agency that issues permits, reviews plans, performs inspections, and controls permit approval and closure.

The qualified individual who accepts responsibility for design, construction, installation, or documentation within their authorized scope. The exact signer depends on the document and work.

The person who prepares a compliance document and certifies that the document is accurate and complete. This may be different from the installer, rater, or building owner.

A technician qualified to perform applicable nonresidential acceptance testing. A CATT is a certified acceptance test technician working within the relevant acceptance-test program.

A CEC-approved provider that trains, certifies, and oversees acceptance-test technicians for applicable nonresidential systems.

On-site observation, measurement, and testing used to verify that specified systems and features comply with the approved Energy Code documents.

The process by which applicable compliance documents are submitted to and recorded by an approved registry, producing a controlled project record and registration information.

The approved electronic system operated by an ECC Provider for registered project documents, signatures, rater activity, status, and verification records.

A compliance path that follows specified measures and requirements directly rather than demonstrating the project through whole-building performance modeling.

A compliance path using CEC-approved software to compare the proposed building’s calculated energy performance with the applicable standard design or energy budget.

The approved rules and procedures used by compliance software and other approved calculation methods to demonstrate performance compliance.

A verified installation-quality measure involving air sealing and insulation observation at specific construction stages. Required areas must remain visible until the applicable inspection is complete.

A registry-controlled verification approach allowed only under applicable CEC rules where a defined group of dwelling units or systems is represented by required testing and selection procedures. It is not simply choosing fewer jobs to inspect.

When a required measure does not pass, the responsible installer corrects the condition and the applicable measure is tested or verified again.

The local enforcement agency’s completion process. ECC documents may be required for closeout, but passing ECC testing does not by itself close the permit.

The 2025 edition of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards, effective January 1, 2026 for applicable permit applications. Project requirements depend on the permit date and governing code cycle.

The Energy Code portion of California’s building standards. Part 1 contains applicable administrative provisions; Part 6 contains building-energy requirements.

One of California’s 16 building climate zones. The project location’s climate zone affects applicable envelope, HVAC, water-heating, and performance requirements; it is not the same as a USDA plant-hardiness zone.

CEC guidance explaining how to apply and document the Energy Code. Separate manuals cover single-family residential, multifamily, and nonresidential projects.

A California utility-supported education and resource program offering forms, tools, training, and code guidance. It is a helpful resource, but the CEC remains the official state authority.

An Energy Code Ace tool used to explore code requirements by project type and scope. Final requirements must still be confirmed against the approved project documents and governing code.

A secondary dwelling unit subject to the Energy Code based on its project type, scope, systems, and permit. An ADU may require its own compliance and installation documents and applicable field verification.

The plans and compliance documents accepted by the permitting authority. Field verification should be coordinated against the approved set, not an outdated design draft.

Documentation reflecting what was actually installed. When field conditions differ from approved compliance documents, revised or as-built documentation may be required before verification can be completed.

Form-family code for HVAC, ducts, airflow, refrigerant charge, equipment, ventilation, exhaust, and related mechanical measures.

Form-family code for building-envelope measures such as enclosure air leakage, air sealing, and insulation installation.

Form-family code for domestic hot-water systems, verified distribution, and related plumbing energy measures.

Codes used for residential lighting or for nonresidential/multifamily indoor, outdoor, and sign-lighting document families.

Form-family code for electrical-power-distribution and electric-ready requirements.

Codes commonly used for solar and battery, photovoltaic/battery, solar readiness, and solar thermal or solar water-heating documents.

Form-family code associated with applicable building commissioning requirements.

Form-family code for covered process systems such as certain commercial kitchen, compressed-air, refrigeration, or process requirements.

A common airflow unit used for HVAC, ventilation, exhaust, and whole-house-fan measurements.

The equipment and distribution systems that heat, cool, ventilate, and move air through a building.

Indoor environmental conditions affected by ventilation, filtration, moisture, pollutants, and local exhaust. Title 24 measures may require verification of whole-building ventilation and local exhaust.

Indoor equipment that moves and conditions air. It may include a blower, coil, filter, and controls and must be accessible for applicable inspection or testing.

A heat pump capable of modulating output rather than operating only at a single capacity. Certain compliance credits require specific equipment and field verification.

A ventilation-cooling fan that draws outdoor air through the home and exhausts warmer air toward the attic or outdoors. Applicable projects may require airflow and efficacy verification.

A local mechanical exhaust appliance above cooking equipment. Applicable verification can include airflow, controls, ducting, capture area, sound or listed-product data under the project’s required measure.

A unit used to rate perceived fan noise. Some residential local-exhaust requirements use airflow and sound ratings from approved or listed product information.

Calibrated fan-and-pressure equipment used to measure building or dwelling-unit enclosure air leakage.

A common name for calibrated equipment used to pressurize a duct system and measure duct leakage.

A pressure unit used in duct-leakage and building-envelope diagnostic testing, such as testing at a specified pressure difference.

A normalized building-envelope leakage result based on measured airflow, building volume, and a 50-pascal pressure difference.

A measure of resistance to heat flow used for insulation and insulated assemblies. Higher values generally indicate greater resistance, subject to the installed assembly and applicable code rules.

A measure of heat transfer through an assembly such as a window, door, or wall. Lower values generally indicate less heat transfer.

The fraction of incident solar heat admitted through fenestration. Lower values admit less solar heat.

Standard efficiency metrics for cooling and heat-pump equipment. The project’s approved documents identify the required equipment performance.

Organizations associated with product performance certification or directories for ventilation products and appliances. Applicable range-hood or exhaust verification may rely on listed manufacturer data.

California’s contractor-licensing agency. A CSLB license number helps identify the contractor responsible for an installation but is separate from CEC registry credentials.

Reference Residential Appendices contain detailed procedures and technical requirements for residential measures and diagnostic testing.

Reference Joint Appendices contain definitions and requirements used across building types. JA1 is a major definitions source. 2025 Reference Appendices ↗

Reference Nonresidential Appendices contain technical procedures and requirements applicable to nonresidential compliance and testing.

Suffixes are part of the official CEC form identifier and distinguish document types and applicable workflows. “-H” is commonly associated with measures requiring field verification and diagnostic testing; always use the official form title and CEC library to determine registration and responsibility.