Affordable Near- and Medium-Term Solutions for Integration of Low GWP Heat Pumps in Residential Buildings (REVISED) SCH#2020060478

2020060478

California Energy Commission

NOE - Notice of Exemption

4/15/2022

4/15/2022

Felix Villanueva

California Energy Commission

Utility Engineer

Lead/Public Agency

715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 776-0822

felix.villanueva@energy.ca.gov

37°18'1.4"N 120°30'50.4"W

Masasso St.

95341

Categorical Exemption

Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15301

COVID related delays to the project kick off in 2020 and project implementation during 2021 resulted in all of the project demonstration sites having to be replaced The activities would include developing high efficiency low global warming potential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) heat pumps to be tested in an existing laboratory and installed or used in existing buildings, especially, residential buildings. The equipment and materials would include, but may not be limited to, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units; paint; building energy controls (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting); and evaluation, measurement, and verification equipment (e.g., power meters, flow meters, sensors, and data loggers). The physical work would include installing this equipment. The project would not involve adding residential units or substantially enlarging buildings. The above activities fall under two categorical exemptions. First, the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, licensing, and minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, and mechanical equipment, involving negligible or no expansion of use, falls under California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15301. The Energy Commission made CEQA findings pertaining to this project, including finding that it was categorically exempt under CCR tit. 14, sections 15301 and 15306 when the Energy Commission originally approved the agreement on May 13, 2020. The currently proposed changes through this amendment involve changing the location of ten (10) test sites. These changes will not result in any environmental impacts beyond those already considered by the Commission. This amended Notice of Exemption provides documentation of the test site changes and the CEC's analysis regarding CEQA.

Categorical Exemption

Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15306

COVID related delays to the project kick off in 2020 and project implementation during 2021 resulted in all of the project demonstration sites having to be replaced The activities would include developing high efficiency low global warming potential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) heat pumps to be tested in an existing laboratory and installed or used in existing buildings, especially, residential buildings. The equipment and materials would include, but may not be limited to, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units; paint; building energy controls (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting); and evaluation, measurement, and verification equipment (e.g., power meters, flow meters, sensors, and data loggers). The physical work would include installing this equipment. The project would not involve adding residential units or substantially enlarging buildings. The above activities fall under two categorical exemptions. First, the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, licensing, and minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, and mechanical equipment, involving negligible or no expansion of use, falls under California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15301. Second, the project includes data collection and analysis to be conducted in residential buildings and in existing laboratories of the grant recipient team. California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15306 exempts basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The proposed project's data analysis activities will have no significant effect on the environment and fall within the categorical exemption of section 15306. The Energy Commission made CEQA findings pertaining to this project, including finding that it was categorically exempt under CCR tit. 14, sections 15301 and 15306 when the Energy Commission originally approved the agreement on May 13, 2020. The currently proposed changes through this amendment involve changing the location of ten (10) test sites. These changes will not result in any environmental impacts beyond those already considered by the Commission. This amended Notice of Exemption provides documentation of the test site changes and the CEC's analysis regarding CEQA.