MINUTES

Energy Technical Advisory Committee

To the FLORIDA BUILDING COMMISSION

October 5, 2009

1:30 P.M. – 2:15 P.M.

Teleconference Call

Tallahassee, Florida

A quorum was achieved by 1:45 P.M. with the following voting members present:

Steven Bassett, Brent Caldwell, Bob Cochell, Philip Fairey, Jan Geyselaers, Dale Greiner, Larry Maxwell, Rafael Palacios, Roger Sanders and Drew Smith.

DCA and Commission staff attending included: Mo Madani, Rick Dixon, Jeff Blair, and Ann Stanton.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dale Greiner. The agenda was approved. The minutes of the April 6, 2009, TAC meeting were approved later in the meeting.

1. The TAC reviewed DEC request DCA09-DEC-269 and the staff analysis of the DEC and made minor corrections to staff recommendations to Questions 1 and 2. Although the rationale as to why voltage drop is regulated by the energy code is given in the staff analysis, it is not relevant because code requirements take precedence over explanatory notes. Sanders moved the following answers to DCA09-DEC-269. The answers were approved unanimously by the TAC.

a. To Question 1, Is the voltage drop of 2 percent as stated in 13-413.1.ABC.1.1 intended as such or is it a scriveners error?, the answer is Yes, Section 13-413.AB.1.1 of the Florida Building Code, Building, intended to limit the voltage drop for feeders and customer-owned service conductors to 2 percent at design load. It is not a scrivener’s error.

b. To Question 2, Why is the FBC so restrictive for the feeder conductor voltage drop at 2 percent and why is it not in agreement with the NEC?, the answer is that according to Section 102.4 of the Florida Building Code, Building, specific energy conservation requirements in the code take precedence over the informational language in the National Electric Code. There is no conflict between the two.

2. Dr. M. Swami of the Florida Solar Energy Center made a brief presentation on the letter report, “Comparison of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004, ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 and the 2008 Florida Energy Code (2009 Supplement)”. In short, it is a no-brainer because ASHRAE 90.1-2004 is the base code for Florida’s energy code, which is by directive 15 percent more stringent than its baseline.

The committee discussed whether the energy code is appropriately called the 2008 Florida Energy Code and whether ASHRAE 90.1 will be referenced more directly in future.

The following motion was made by Fairey, amended, and unanimously approved:

The Commission should forward certification to the U.S. Department of Energy that Florida’s energy code exceeds Chapter 11 of ASHRAE 90.1-2004 by 15 percent.

5. At the request of the Chair, Cochell moved that the meeting be adjourned at 2:15 p.m.; it was unanimously approved by the TAC.

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