ENERGY & BUILDING-CODE COMPLIANCE · CASE STUDY
San Francisco Office Energy & Compliance — Evidence
NOT COMPLIANT / NOT ACCEPTED — native Title 24 runs rejected; official report not generated; ASHRAE PRM blocked
Evidence
Evidence folders (SHA256SUMS re-verified 2026-10-25, 0 mismatches)
| Folder | Status | Manifest SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025 | current native run; NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-25, D-CX-28) | 59263490bc034162d58655249e5b3f831b52978a255a9c4b06a005ddd706f28c |
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN-20261024 | SUPERSEDED (SUPERSEDED.txt); NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-24) | 6a12bad1e11dc2e836abb63bee75df1d001baa669ee87d79b8ad43117b7db369 |
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-UI-20261024 | PARTIAL: Standard model blocked (materials); PRM set-up only | a8c27cc5eef64233196cd6d56551e4206001cef3af54fddc83b3401041571f8d |
| compliance-NATIVE-N0-N2-20261024 | probe PASS; work copy PASS; annual run exploratory only | f99b2fa15692623d1f7e9d0a0fcfbf1dc606cc8e9081af338b588e8b14c59d95 |
| compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r4 | current offline study; failed_precheck; predates native runs | f742786ef5504cad58b308863583500f3e701906eb1ed42d673e49642a46786d |
| compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r3 | SUPERSEDED by r4 | 8b15ea0ce651f666d8e660ab73c1d0e84139d320e72070cdc709b4003643a1eb |
| compliance-WF1-SF-OFFLINE-STUDY-20261024-r2 | SUPERSEDED by r3 | fe587e7221441c6f6844c7e0b591402fc4b0258c38eefc542745eae6416a2847 |
| compliance-WF1-SF-OFFLINE-STUDY-20261024 | SUPERSEDED by r2 | 064a5ad6e8db9a79eda5de3ec6f86d199b9b182a1e9ec6b07f2cc5161ec8cc4f |
| compliance-WEATHER-CZ2022-CZ03-20261024 | reference data, not in this pack | eba742931a22dfdce9db71fc56aa0af1a5e0a2a01759d987b760de1f86de294d |
Decisions
- D-CX-24
- Run 1 'DOES comply' (LSC 64.82 %) NOT accepted
- D-CX-25
- Automated plausibility triggers; a navigator 'complies' is never accepted on its own
- D-CX-26
- Benchmark code-minimum heat pump plant (not HP-01)
- D-CX-27
- Plantroom unoccupied
- D-CX-28
- Run 2 (LSC 59.95 %) NOT accepted: 94.5 % of the margin is Standard fan energy
Native evidence and completeness matrix
| Result | Origin | Software · date | Verdict | Status | Source · evidence hash | Engineering approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title 24 2025 performance run 1 (native)Title 24 performanceSoftware statement 'DOES comply' (LSC margin 64.82 %, source 72.17 %) NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-24): Standard indoor fans 81.13 MWh and 151 unmet heating hours, plantroom wrongly conditioned, provisional water-cooled chiller (not HP-01), autosized, no certified glazing ratings, PV/battery not modelled, no PRF-01. Superseded by run 2. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment, Title 24 2025 module 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-24 | FAIL | superseded | compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN-20261024/outputs/t24run/reportssha256 7e330b14feaf… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Title 24 2025 performance run 2, corrected (native)Title 24 performanceSoftware statement 'DOES comply' (LSC 78.58 → 31.47 $/ft²·yr, margin 59.95 %; source 68.55 %) NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-25, D-CX-28): 94.5 % of the LSC margin is Standard fan energy (75.12 vs 7.27 MWh), ≈ 3 % without it; plausibility triggers fired (Standard fan EUI 86.9 kWh/m²·yr, fan ratio 10.34, fans 75 % of site-energy margin); proposed plant is a code-minimum BENCHMARK, not HP-01. Standard unmet heating hours 21 in the Results Summary vs 24 in the plausibility check (unexplained). | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment, Title 24 2025 module 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-25 | FAIL | exploratory | compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025/outputs/reportssha256 7d5ae8423d8c… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Title 24 battery step (native)Battery storageRun 1 FAILED (AttributeError from a blank availability schedule; dialog hung). Run 2 executed with a manufacturer-neutral code-minimum battery (37.522 kWh / 9.381 kW, loss factor 0.0566) after the Results Summary was produced, so the summary shows battery 0; not part of any compliance result. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment, Title 24 battery model 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-25 | PARTIAL | exploratory | compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025/outputssha256 c4d3fdf32de1… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Official Title 24 compliance report (PRF-01)Title 24 documentationNot generated: 'Generate Title 24 Compliance Report' stayed disabled throughout (PV/SARA not done). No official certificate exists. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment, Title 24 2025 module 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-25 | NOT TESTED | blocked | compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025/RESULTS.md | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| PV geometry and solar access (SARA), nativePhotovoltaicsThe PV panel tool could not be driven by automation; an operator must place one panel (about 5 minutes) before SARA and the solar assessment. Licence expired before this was done. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-25 | BLOCKED | blocked | compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025/RESULTS.md | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| ASHRAE 90.1-2019 Appendix G PRMASHRAE 90.1 PRMSet up only (location corrected to Oakland Intl, ASHRAE climate zone 3C). Remaining steps (lighting, DHW, loads, baseline in four orientations, five annual simulations, utility rates, PCI) not run; blocked by the IESVE trial licence expiry 2026-10-25 02:40 GMT. Licensed baseline tables not held. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment, ASHRAE 90.1 navigator 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-25 | BLOCKED | blocked | compliance-NATIVE-T24-UI-20261024; compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025/RESULTS.md | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| LEED v5 energy and San Francisco 2025 local requirementsLEED / local codeLEED EAp2/EAc3 blocked (need PRM results); SF all-electric check blocked (DHW not recorded); SF energy-budget blocked (no approved-tool run accepted); LEED Gold requirement not applicable (gross area below 25,000 ft²); reach-code status unresolved. | Hexanta offline | Hexanta compliance engine2026-10-24 | BLOCKED | blocked | compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r4/REPORT.mdsha256 85c626af34e0… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Native ASHRAE Heat Balance design loads, CZ 3Design loadsRun with provisional inputs: room heating 10.600 kW, sensible cooling 52.513 kW (conditioned rooms). Hexanta/native ratios 0.925 (heating) and 1.085 (cooling) are agreement checks, not validation of either. | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment (Title 24 mode) 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-24 | PARTIAL | exploratory | compliance-NATIVE-T24-UI-20261024/outputssha256 65ddf277f4e5… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Exploratory annual ApacheSim (template plant)Energy simulation8,760 h run of a template gas-boiler/chiller plant (not WF1's HP-01); only plant-independent demand used: room cooling incl. dehumidification 99,457 kWh, within 3 % of the Hexanta preliminary estimate (QA-13). | Native tool output | IES Virtual Environment ApacheSim 2026 (26.0.0.0)2026-10-24 | PARTIAL | exploratory | compliance-NATIVE-N0-N2-20261024/outputssha256 3b6cbf20b8d9… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Hexanta offline study r4 (pre-checks, loads, PV/battery sizing, options)Offline studyTitle 24 prescriptive pre-check failed_precheck (fenestration solar heat gain; lighting 9,864 W vs 5,480 W allowed; no PV ≥ 21.076 kWdc; no battery ≥ 37.522 kWh / 9.381 kW); options O0–O3 EUI 104.4 → 89.0 kWh/m²·yr PRELIMINARY. Predates native runs 1–2. | Hexanta offline | Hexanta compliance engine2026-10-24 | PARTIAL | exploratory | compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r4/study.jsonsha256 52f7696d908f… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
| Offline study QA checks (15/15)Software QA15/15 PASS — software and arithmetic checks only (reproducibility, equation recomputation, energy balance, unit checks, native cross-checks within tolerance). Not engineering validation and not compliance. | Hexanta offline | Hexanta compliance engine2026-10-24 | PASS | reference | compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r4/QA.jsonsha256 e4b412ab68dc… | OUTSTANDING — no compliance certification or engineer approval |
Evidence folders
| Folder | Date | Purpose | Status | Manifest SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN2-20261025 | 2026-10-25 | Corrected Title 24 2025 run 2, battery step, licence expiry | current native run; NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-25, D-CX-28) | 59263490bc034162… |
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-RUN-20261024 | 2026-10-24 | Title 24 2025 run 1 | SUPERSEDED (SUPERSEDED.txt); NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-24) | 6a12bad1e11dc2e8… |
| compliance-NATIVE-T24-UI-20261024 | 2026-10-24 | Title 24 2025 and 90.1-2019 navigator session | PARTIAL: Standard model blocked (materials); PRM set-up only | a8c27cc5eef64233… |
| compliance-NATIVE-N0-N2-20261024 | 2026-10-24 | Probe, SF work copy, exploratory annual simulation | probe PASS; work copy PASS; annual run exploratory only | f99b2fa15692623d… |
| compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r4 | 2026-10-24 | Hexanta offline study (current) | current offline study; failed_precheck; predates native runs | f742786ef5504cad… |
| compliance-WF1-SF-STUDY-20261024-r3 | 2026-10-24 | Offline study r3 | SUPERSEDED by r4 | 8b15ea0ce651f666… |
| compliance-WF1-SF-OFFLINE-STUDY-20261024-r2 | 2026-10-24 | Offline study r2 | SUPERSEDED by r3 | fe587e7221441c6f… |
| compliance-WF1-SF-OFFLINE-STUDY-20261024 | 2026-10-24 | Offline study r1 | SUPERSEDED by r2 | 064a5ad6e8db9a79… |
| compliance-WEATHER-CZ2022-CZ03-20261024 | 2026-10-24 | CZ2022 climate-zone 3 weather set (reference; not shipped: licence not stated) | reference data, not in this pack | eba742931a22dfdc… |
Engineering findings
- The complete native Title 24 2025 performance workflow (templates, building data, CEC construction mapping, Standard model generation, Proposed and Standard annual simulations, Results Summary, battery step) was driven end-to-end in IESVE 2026 on the synthetic San Francisco scenario.
- IESVE reported 'This design DOES comply with Title 24 - 2025 compliance methodology' in both runs; Hexanta's review rejected both (D-CX-24, D-CX-25, D-CX-28).
- Run 2: 94.5 % of the 47.11 $/ft²·yr LSC margin comes from Standard indoor fans (75.12 vs 7.27 MWh; about 7,640 equivalent full-load hours against 5,818 h availability); about 3 % margin without it. To be confirmed against the 2025 nonresidential ACM manual or with the software vendor.
- Automated plausibility triggers (unmet hours > 150, fan EUI > 40 kWh/m²·yr, Standard/Proposed fan ratio > 3, one end use > 60 % of margin) now stop any navigator 'complies' result from being accepted on its own (D-CX-25).
- The run 1 diagnosis found an unserved plantroom treated as conditioned (151 unmet heating hours) and a non-WF1 water-cooled chiller; run 2 corrected both (plantroom unoccupied, D-CX-27; code-minimum benchmark heat pump, D-CX-26).
- The earlier finding 'Title 24 2025 module not installed' was withdrawn: the module is built into VE 2026 (D-CX-19).
- Offline pre-check: failed_precheck on fenestration solar heat gain, lighting power (9,864 W vs 5,480 W allowed) and missing PV (≥ 21.076 kWdc) and battery (≥ 37.522 kWh / 9.381 kW).
- Native and Hexanta design loads agree within 7.5–8.5 % (heating ratio 0.925, cooling 1.085); these are agreement checks, not validation.
Conclusions
- Hexanta drove the complete native Title 24 2025 performance workflow in IESVE 2026 end to end, twice, on a synthetic building at a hypothetical San Francisco site.
- Both software 'complies' results were NOT ACCEPTED on engineering review: 94.5 % of the run 2 margin comes from Standard-design indoor fan energy, about 3 % without it. No Title 24 compliance, pass or certification is claimed.
- Automated plausibility triggers now stop a navigator 'complies' result from being accepted on its own; the official compliance report (PRF-01), PV/SARA and the ASHRAE 90.1 PRM were not completed before the IESVE trial licence expired.
Limitations
- The building is synthetic (WF1 London Run 4 relocated) at a hypothetical site; permit date assumed 2026-11-02.
- HP-01 has no certified ratings; the proposed plant is a code-minimum benchmark; heating heat pumps autosized (oversized vs room heating 10.6 kW).
- Glazing data are European (EN) values, not certified US ratings; DHW design unresolved; air barrier, controls, commissioning and lighting controls not assessed.
- PV/SARA, PRF-01 and the ASHRAE PRM were not completed; the IESVE trial licence expired 2026-10-25 and no native run was attempted for this pack.
- Standard design fan energy (75–81 MWh) remains unexplained; Standard unmet heating hours read 21 (Results Summary) and 24 (plausibility check) without explanation.
- The offline energy model is quasi-steady (no thermal mass; fans at code limits as targets; pumps and DHW unresolved; annual-average carbon factor); all offline energy figures are PRELIMINARY.
- Title 24 / SF values in the engine are transcribed and unverified; licensed ASHRAE tables are not held; the CZ2022 weather set is named but not shipped (licence not stated).
- The offline study r4 predates the native runs; its text does not yet reflect them.
What this case study does not claim
- No Title 24 compliance, pass or certification: the software 'DOES comply' statements were NOT ACCEPTED (D-CX-24, D-CX-28) and no PRF-01 exists.
- No '59.95 %' or '64.82 %' (or any) better-than-code margin: 94.5 % of the run 2 margin is Standard fan energy; about 3 % without it.
- No ASHRAE 90.1 PRM / PCI result, no LEED v5 points or rating.
- No San Francisco all-electric or energy-budget compliance (both blocked).
- Not a verified, validated or engineer-approved design; inputs are synthetic and provisional; the proposed plant is a benchmark, not HP-01.
- Not a real San Francisco project or site (synthetic WF1 London building at a hypothetical site, provisional ZIP).
- No native PV simulation or solar-access (SARA) assessment; offline PV yields are PRELIMINARY.
- The native battery step is not part of any compliance result (Results Summary shows battery 0).
- The offline options (EUI 104.4 → 89.0 kWh/m²·yr, grid import and carbon reductions) are PRELIMINARY estimates, not simulations or compliance results.
- Hexanta is not CEC-approved compliance software and does not replace it; native/offline comparisons are agreement checks only.
- No cost savings, payback or tariff-based figures (LSC $/ft²·yr is a Title 24 metric, not a cost).
- No partnership or endorsement by any equipment manufacturer; third-party battery data are public datasheet values.
- No current IESVE availability or commercial licence: the work used a trial licence that expired 2026-10-25.
- Compliance results are not computed live in the Hexanta application; this is a read-only case study of preserved evidence.
Sanitised derivative of preserved evidence (compliance-* evidence folders, branch feat/compliance-engine). Nothing was re-simulated for this pack; IESVE was not started. Screenshots are cropped and reviewed; plots and the report contain only values read from the evidence. Not a compliance document. · Pack sf-office-compliance-r2 (built 2026-10-25); every file is checked against its SHA-256 before it is shown.