The 2025 California Energy Code is now in effect. Projects with permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 Energy Code.
This article summarizes major changes from the 2022 Energy Code that may be relevant to local governments considering reach codes. It is not a full technical summary of every code change. For current reach-code timing, AB 130, and 2025 study and policy resource availability, see Current Reach Code Timing and Study Updates.
One terminology change to note up front, across both the residential and nonresidential sectors, is the replacement of the Time Dependent Valuation (TDV) metric with a new term, Long-Term System Cost (LSC). Just as with TDV in the previous code cycle, this is the CEC's projected valuation of costs to California’s energy systems over a period of 30 years.
This article covers:
Single Family and Multi-Family Energy Code Overview
The 2025 Standards focus on strengthening heat pump requirements for space and water heating with additional focus on envelope and pool heating. Single family new construction highlights include:
Extending the prescriptive standard for heat pumps for space heating to all climate zones
Requiring controls to improve performance of heat pumps, including defrost timers and limits on supplementary heat to 35°F and below
Prescriptively requiring heat pump water heaters in all climate zones
Adjusting requirements for high-performance windows and walls
Establishing new mandatory options that encourage heat pumps for heating newly constructed swimming pools and newly installed pool heaters for existing pools
With this new dual heat pump baseline, single family homes will no longer have cost-effectiveness study results split by fuel type, and will instead have one set of results that is not split into all-electric and mixed-fuel cases.
Multi-family new construction highlights include:
Introducing a prescriptive requirement for sizing water pipes according to California Plumbing Code Appendix M for central domestic hot water (DHW) systems
Prescriptively requiring a heat pump for water heating equipment serving individual dwelling units in all climate zones
Mandating electric readiness for central gas water heating systems
Strengthening envelope provisions including cool roof, wall and fenestration performance
Non-Residential Energy Code Overview
The 2025 Energy Code continues to focus on advancing electrification, strongly encouraging heat pumps for more building types and applications and updating photovoltaic and battery energy storage system requirements. Updates include:
Introducing prescriptive heat pump standards for select nonresidential building types (when replacing single-zone rooftop units less than 65,000 Btu/h)
Prescriptively requiring multizone HVAC heat pumps in most climate zones for office and school building types
Prescriptively requiring heat pump water heaters in schools greater than 25,000 ft2 for most climate zones (CZs 2-15)
Replacing end-of-life rooftop heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units of a certain size with heat pumps, for existing retail, schools, offices and libraries, or with an air conditioner with additional efficiency measures
Establishing electric-ready requirements for commercial kitchens
Updating solar and storage standards for assembly buildings, including religious worship, sport, and recreation buildings
Chart of Changes to the Energy Code
A detailed chart of changes to the 2025 Energy Code are outlined below based on the following factors:
Occupancy Type: Single Family (SF), Multifamily (MF), or Nonresidential (NR)
Event Type: New Construction (New) or Additions & Alterations
Code Reference: Where you can find this change in the energy code
Topic: What is affected by this change
What this means for reach-code planning
Because the 2025 Energy Code is more stringent than the 2022 Energy Code in several areas, some reach-code options that were relevant under the 2022 code may need to be updated, replaced, or reevaluated.
Jurisdictions considering 2025-cycle reach codes should use current 2025-cycle resources, including current cost-effectiveness studies, model ordinance language, and implementation materials.
Jurisdictions should also pay close attention to whether a policy applies to residential or nonresidential buildings. Residential reach-code timing and availability are affected by AB 130, while nonresidential reach codes are not affected in the same way.