California Title 24

Balancing Energy Efficiency and Fire Performance

With the world’s fifth-largest economy, California has the ability to influence entire industries through public policy. The state has set the bar for energy-efficient building design since establishing an energy code in 1978 in response to a legislative mandate that the state reduce its energy consumption. The energy code is Part 6 of the state’s Building Standards Code, also known by its regulatory name: Title 24.

With the state’s move toward higher energy efficiency standards, architects and designers face a special challenge of balancing energy efficiency with fire safety when it comes to designing homes, apartment buildings, retail centers and commercial spaces such as hospitals, schools and libraries.

California Title 24 Part 6 2019 Energy Code Updates

ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation provides high performance solutions to meet both energy and fire codes.

Learn more about how we play an important role

Want to learn more?

Earn continuing education credits with our course “Balancing Fire and Energy Code Requirements in Exterior Walls.”

Designing With Wildfire in Mind

California also leads the world in establishing regulations governing construction for wildfire-prone areas. With climate change amplifying the intensity and size of wildfires, locations close to wildlands, known as wildland–urban interface (WUI) zones, are increasingly seeing fires spread through wind-blown embers, radiant heat and direct flame contact with landscaping, fences and structures. Prioritizing fire safety and WUI considerations has never been more important than it is today.

Learn about WUI design

ROCKWOOL Stone Wool Insulation Products Solve for Both Fire Safety and Energy Efficiency

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Naturally noncombustible stone wool insulation from ROCKWOOL provides versatile solutions to create fire-resistant homes, offices and retail spaces for increasing numbers of Californians who find themselves living and working in WUI zones. Stone wool insulation, a sustainable product made from renewable materials, can also play a key role in meeting stringent energy codes, including the net-zero energy standard. In addition to being naturally noncombustible, designing stone wool into walls, floors and roofs offers supplemental benefits.

Supplemental Benefits of Stone Wool in Walls, Floors and Roofs

Provides superior thermal performance
Repels water while allowing vapour movement through the wall assembly
Dampens noise
Retains its shape and structure for the life of the building

ROCKWOOL CAL FIRE Listing Products

The California Office of the State Fire Marshal building materials listing includes products tested by OSFM-accredited laboratories to help building professionals source reliable products for projects in WUI zones. Learn more about the listing and its requirements.

The building materials listing includes four ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation products, the only building insulation products in the listing. Each of these products has been independently tested in accordance with ASTM E84 (for flame spread and smoke development) and ASTM E136 (for noncombustibility) by an OSFM-accredited laboratory and is rated a zero on the flame spread index and a zero on the smoke developed index.