San Rafael has a tradition of strong collaboration with its stakeholders as well as fellow jurisdictions and county government in Marin County. So it was natural to continue this tradition as the city staff focused on developing a new reach code following the repeal of its all-electric reach code in the wake of the Berkeley decision. Notes Cory Bytof, Sustainability Program Manager, “it was important for the city to include the perspectives not only of its own residents, but of stakeholders across the county. We’ve been fortunate to have committed partners in government both at the county level and in other cities around Marin. Our Chief Building Official has a strong working relationship with local architects and construction firms, which helps us understand how regulations will work on the ground.”The city staff also worked to develop an ordinance that would be both effective in helping achieve its long-term climate goals but also achievable for homeowners, since single family homes make up just over 50% of San Rafael’s existing housing stock and will be key in reducing emissions. “We focused on creating an entire process that would be flexible enough for our residents, paired with education and tools that simplified compliance,” added Bytof.
The resulting ordinance, adopted by the City Council in June 2024 and approved by the California Energy Commission in September 2024, provides a flexible path for single-family remodel projects over 500 feet2 that were built before 2010. This “Flex-Path” seeks to increase energy efficiency and encourage electrification, while the homeowner is already making significant changes to their home.
A Look at the Flex Path
The measure offers a menu of energy saving options that homeowners can choose from that have been verified for cost-effectiveness. Each option has an associated point value based on site energy savings. The higher the energy savings from implementation, the higher the score for the option. One section focuses on envelope related efficiency measures such as insulation, windows, and duct sealing, the next section focuses on heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) and water heating electrification options, and the final section consists of solar options.
Tools for Implementation
The City staff recognized the implementation process can be challenging for homeowners, so simplifying the process and providing comprehensive information on planning and compliance resources, financial incentives and FAQs was vital. They developed an online hub that contains multiple resources, both those provided by the City, such as the 8-Step Guide to Electrify Your Home (see below) as well as other resources from Marin County (Electrify Marin), the State of California (Building and Home Energy Resource Hub), and national organizations such as Rewire America (Electrify Everything guide). The City has also published a simple compliance checklist for applicants on their Green Building and Electrification web page. The City is offering the 8 Steps Guide to other jurisdictions to personalize for their own use. Interested individuals may contact Sustainability@cityofsanrafael.org.
