Rob Koslowsky Public Comment - on State Mandate for Homeowners
Rob Koslowsky Comment re 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking
Transcript of Rob Koslowsky Comment re 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking
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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
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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.
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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]
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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,
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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.
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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
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[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.