2013 Residential Compliance Software Project

Welcome to the web page for the 2013 Residential Compliance Software Project. On this site, you can download the latest version of CBECC-Res 2013. This open-source software program was developed by the California Energy Commission for use in complying with the 2013 update to the Residential Building Energy Efficiency Standards. (For information about CBECC-Com, the nonresidential compliance software, go to http://bees.archenergy.com/index.html.)

This project is managed by Bruce Wilcox, PE. The California Energy Commission contract manager is Martha Brook. For information about California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards, please go to www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2013standards.

OPT-IN TO THE EMAIL LIST FOR CBECC-RES ANNOUNCEMENTS. If you would like to be notified when a new version of the residential compliance software is available, please email Jennifer Roberts.

DOWNLOADS

• CBECC-Res 2013 1e (532)
  CBECC-Res version 1e fixes a bug found when the Proposed Design includes more than 20% glazing and several other miscellaneous problems - see the Quick Start Guide below for more details. Click on this link to download the installer.


• Quick Start Guide and FAQ
  Click on this link to download the combined Quick Start Guide and FAQ. This document (which can also be accessed through the program's Help menu) provides brief descriptions of the software program's major features, notes major changes from the previous version, and answers questions received from the software's users.


• Residential ACM Tests - January 23, 2014
  • TDSv12_Runs.zip
  • TDSv12_Spreadsheet.xls
  • TDSv12_Spreadsheet.pdf


• 2013 Residential Alternative Calculation Method Reference Manual and Algorithms, Rev. 4 - August 2013

HOW TO GET SUPPORT OR REPORT A PROBLEM
If you have questions about the software or run into a problem, there a number of resources where you can find help:

• Quick Start Guide and FAQ (above)
• The User's Manual available through the software's Help menu
• The RACM Reference Manual

If you have a question that is not covered by one of these documents or if you think CBECC-Res is not operating correctly, send an email to CBECC-Res Support and we'll answer your question as soon as possible.

If you are reporting a CBECC-Res crash or error, please include as much of the following as possible (copy and paste this template into your email):

     CBECC-Res version (Help: About): CBECC-Res 2013-?? (???)
     Describe the error, using as much detail as possible.
     List the steps taken to produce the error, using as much detail as possible.
     1.
     2. etc.

If there is an error message, what is the message? If possible, take a screenshot of the error message and attach it to the email as a file.
Please attach your <ProjectName>.ribd file. This is the file you open and save from inside CBECC-Res. By default, this file is located in the C:\Users\<your username>\My Documents\CBECC-Res-2013-??\Projects directory.

If you are interested in using the CBECC Compliance Manager in third-party vendor compliance software tools, the documentation of the API is included in this software installation (see ...Data\Documents\CEC Compliance Manager (res) software docu v9.pdf). Also, if you need additional functionality beyond what is available, please let us know specifically what you need so that we can begin to prioritize our work going forward.

November 20, 2012 Energy Commission Workshop

11/21/12 update: Thank you to everyone who participated in the Energy Commission’s staff workshop on the Residential ACM Reference Manual. Please submit written comments to the Commission by December 12, 2012. For information on how to submit comments, please see the workshop notice. The draft documents, along with the workshop presentations, are posted below under “November 20, 2012 Energy Commission Workshop.”

• Notes from 11/20/2012 Residential ACM Staff Workshop
• 2013 Residential ACM Reference Manual – 11/15/12 Draft, PDF version and Word version
• 2013 Residential ACM Algorithms – 11/15/12 Draft, PDF version and Word version
• CF-1R Performance Certificate of Compliance, Draft
• Water Heating Calculation Method - Residential ACM, Draft
• Bruce Wilcox’s RACM Reference Manual presentation
• Yanda Zhang’s RACM DWH presentation
• Robert Scott’s Report Generator presentation

July 17, 2012 PAC Meeting Documents

• Notes from July 17, 2012 PAC meeting
• Agenda 7/17/12 PAC Meeting
• Residential ACM Reference Manual Outline - draft
• Bruce Wilcox presentation – goals, schedule, proposed energy calculation rules
• Scott Criswell presentation – software overview
• Robert Scott presentation – report generator

Older Project Documents

• PAC Meeting Agenda 
  - 1/11/2012 kickoff meeting of Residential Software Compliance Project
• PAC Meeting minutes 1-11-2012 
  - Please notify Jennifer Roberts of any corrections
• RCS Development Plan (draft)
  - PAC members are encouraged to use this document as a means of providing guidance or posing questions to the project team. Marked-up files can be emailed to Jennifer Roberts, who will distribute them to the project team.
• Presentations
  - Power Point Presentations from the PAC Meeting
• 2008 Residential Alternative Calculation Method (ACM) Approval Manual
  - This document is provided for reference only. It was frequently referred to in the PAC meeting.
• Open Source License Descriptions
• PAC open source license responses
  - Responses to questionnaire on open source licensing options
• GeoPraxis Comments Preliminary License Recommendations
  - Comments from GeoPraxis on open source licensing
• GeoPraxis Comments AB549 11-09-05(excerpts)
  - Additional comments from GeoPraxis on open source licensing
• 2013 Residential Standards Development Software, Bruce Wilcox, January 14, 2011.