New build gas connection: New Mexico Gas Company

alexxlab

California Is Closing the Door to Gas in New Homes

California’s top energy bosses soon will decide when to snuff out natural gas flames in new homes.

The seismic move toward omitting some gas appliances comes as the California Energy Commission retools state building codes for energy-efficient homes. It’s an expansion of the state’s first-in-the-nation mandates requiring solar panels on all new homes starting last year.

The agency now plans to tighten rules on natural gas for home heating and hot water, a code update that would take effect in 2023.

Environmental groups want a complete ban on natural gas in new homes, but the state commission has signaled that isn’t likely right now. Officials instead in the coming months are likely to use incentives to urge developers to pick electric options for heating, like heat pumps. More muscular requirements could come later.

“We are really ratcheting up the efficiency across the board,” agency Commissioner Andrew McAllister said in an interview. “We anticipate that we’ll be providing incentives for the market to scale up its adoption of heat pumps.”

“You need to give the marketplace reasons to adopt it before you step in and maybe mandate it,” McAllister added. “That’s the pathway that we’re likely on.”

The long-term outlook for natural gas isn’t good in California, which wants to eliminate most carbon emissions by 2045. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) injected urgency into state climate efforts this summer after wildfires scorched more than 4 million acres, a new record.

The California Building Industry Association, a trade group whose members develop 85% of new buildings in the state, is girding for ever-tougher rules over the next five years.

“The writing’s on the wall,” said Bob Raymer, technical director with the industry group. “They’re going to want electric space and water heating come 2026.”

The use of natural gas in buildings creates about 10% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board.

That agency in November urged “stronger kitchen ventilation standards and electrification of appliances, including stoves, ovens, furnaces, and space and water heaters, in the 2022 code cycle for all new buildings.”

Those moves would set new benchmarks nationally and are intended “to protect public health, improve indoor and outdoor air quality, reduce GHG emissions, and set California on track to achieve carbon neutrality,” said CARB.

They come as more than 40 cities and counties in California have tightened rules on natural gas use in new homes. A few have banned it entirely, including San Francisco. Environmental groups are pushing to eliminate gas from new residential construction immediately, a move that they say would prevent new homes from releasing emissions for decades to come.

“We don’t have another three years to wait on this,” said Matt Vespa, an attorney at Earthjustice. “There’s a lot of momentum here.”

Even San Francisco-based utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. , which has 5 million customers, said that it supports “local government policies that promote all-electric new construction.”

“PG&E welcomes the opportunity to avoid investments in new gas assets that might later prove underutilized as local governments and the state work together to realize long-term decarbonization objectives,” the utility said in a statement.

2 agencies sued

Other power companies are defending gas.

Southern California Gas Co., the nation’s biggest natural gas utility by sales revenue, sued the California Energy Commission, or CEC, in July over what the utility sees as a bid to marginalize gas.

The lawsuit targeted CEC’s 2019 Integrated Energy Policy Report, a planning document. It argued that the agency failed to take a full look at natural gas in its report and omitted submitted comments. The result was to minimize the role of natural gas, the suit said, noting that other agencies rely on the state commission’s assessment.

“California law requires the CEC to implement a balanced approach to California’s complex energy needs that includes the use of natural gas,” it said.

Meanwhile, the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, funded in part by SoCalGas, sued CARB over its Advanced Clean Trucks regulation.

That rule required medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks starting in the 2024 model year. The suit claimed that the rule would create “significant, short-term environmental impacts” by spurring construction of infrastructure to support new hydrogen fueling and electric vehicle charging stations.

SoCalGas, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, did not respond to requests for comment on the building code update.

The California Building Industry Association hopes to shape the timing of natural gas restrictions. Raymer argues that state officials need to allot more time for developers and heat pump manufacturers and installers to shift toward electrification of buildings.

Heat pumps currently make up about 2% of residential heating units, he said. When the solar mandate took effect, solar was being installed on about 25% of homes, Raymer said.

California “has made it very clear it’s decarbonizing, and that means both the new and existing housing stock is going to go through some major changes, the same thing for the commercial stock,” Raymer said. “We get that.”

But he said requirements to use heat pumps instead of gas appliances could increase costs for developers. CEC could offer builders an optional all-electric package that includes “slightly less stringent” energy efficiency requirements on attic and wall insulation.

That could “save the builder a small amount of money that can be used in making the switch away from gas to electric,” Raymer said.

Architects and doctors

Architect Scott Shell said heat pumps are a known technology that are used all over the country. Installers are familiar with the equipment, he said, because it’s roughly the same technology as air conditioners.

He’s a member of the American Institute of Architects in California, whose board voted unanimously in 2018 to support a national and international energy standard that aims for carbon neutrality in new buildings.

The building industry’s contention that heat pumps can’t be widely used is “the weakest part of their argument,” Shell said.

Electrification is also less expensive, he said. The University of California recently opted for all-electric buildings in its new student housing projects because those bids were the least expensive, he said.

“Anytime anybody has to do something a little bit different, there’s a learning curve,” Shell said of all-electric homes. “I don’t think that learning curve is going to be any different three years from now. I don’t think putting it off is going to help with that.”

Many health professionals also support electrification.

Lisa Patel, a pediatrician at a San Francisco hospital, said children living in homes with natural gas cookstoves have a 24% higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma over their lifetimes and a 42% higher risk of experiencing asthma symptoms.

“I’m constantly struck by the fact that I’ve been living with gas stoves in my home for years,” she said. “As a doctor, I should have known better. … [S]o now that I know, I want to make as many other people know and that we really work toward getting these out of our homes.”

Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from E&E News. E&E provides daily coverage of essential energy and environmental news at www.eenews.net.

New Construction Information | Nicor Gas

New Business Coordinator Search

Requesting Main Installation

To request gas main to serve your home, business or new development, view the Project/Development List of Requirements needed. Depending on the scope of your project, Nicor Gas may require development drawings or a plat of survey. A new business coordinator will be happy to assist you in determining the location of Nicor Gas’s closest natural gas main facilities.

Please contact your new business coordinator to schedule a pre-construction meeting.

Requesting Additional Meters

Nicor Gas usually sets the first meter at the time of gas service installation. If any additional meters are required, you will need to request the meter set installation after the fuel line has been stubbed out and at least one appliance is connected. Please allow three to four business days from request date for additional meters to be set.

Please review the Guidelines for Ordering Additional Meters information sheet before requesting an additional gas meter.

Call our Builder First Department at 888.NICOR.4U to schedule the meter installation.

New Service Installation Guidelines

For residential service, when a home in your development is ready for natural gas service, you’ll need to complete an online Single Meter Service Request Form for each home or you can complete the Fax Form and fax it to us at 630. 305.0466.

Please note: we recommend that you apply for new gas service at time of excavation.

Once you have a back-filled foundation, please submit your Job Site Readiness Form which will start the planning process of your gas installation.

For commercial service, please contact a new business coordinator using the tool above to find the coordinator for your county. Or, please fill out our Commercial Service Information Request form.

Requirements

  • Please accurately complete all necessary information requested on the Single Meter Request Form and complete the required appliance list to ensure accuracy of load submitted on application. 
  • When choosing the meter location and gas service route, please keep in mind the following: 
    • The meter should be located within 3-5 feet from the front corner of your home. 
    • We cannot cross a septic system with a gas line. 
    • We are able to cross underground electric and water services, but their locations must be clearly and accurately marked 
    • Be sure you also identify the location of your underground sprinkler system, if applicable.  
    • There must be a 3-foot clearance from the gas meter to any door or window openings, vents, electric meter, Greater clearances may be needed for some equipment. Check with your gas equipment installer for details


Download The Step-By-Step Guide

Builder and Developer Overview



Builder and Developer Responsibilities

As the Builder/Developer for a project, it is your responsibility to ensure that all documentation provided to Nicor Gas is current and accurate. If you change any information you initially provide us, it may affect our agreement. Changes to your original submission (i.e., site plan alterations, number of homes/units, or the equipment to be installed and pressure delivery requirements) can have an impact on Nicor Gas’ engineering estimates (service/meter size and pressure), construction estimates, and financial analysis, and should therefore be communicated to your Nicor Gas new business coordinator as soon as possible.



Service Agreement

The Service Agreement for Installation of gas main or new commercial service addresses the responsibilities and requirements of both parties. Please be sure to review this document and contact your Nicor Gas new business coordinator with any questions or concerns. A completed signed Service Agreement must be returned prior to natural gas main and/or service design.



Requesting Residential Gas Main Installations

To request gas main to serve your home, business or new development, view the Project/Development List of Requirements needed. Depending on the scope of your project, Nicor Gas may require development drawings or a plat of survey. A new business coordinator will be happy to assist you in determining the location of Nicor Gas’s closest natural gas main facilities.

Please contact your new business coordinator to schedule a pre-construction meeting.



Requesting Residential New Service Installations

When you are ready for the installation of natural gas service to an individual home within your project, you will need to complete a Single Meter Service Request Form for each service line to be installed. You may view our Step By Step Process for instructions on completion. If you have a multi-residential unit building that requires multiple meters, please contact your Nicor Gas new business coordinator for guidance.

Each service requested must include all required information. To submit your request, either fax to 630.305.0466 or you can complete online. When you are ready for installation, refer to the job site readiness checklist and complete and submit the Job Site Readiness Form. You should expect to have gas service within a four-week time frame from the time your job site is ready.



Requesting Commercial or Industrial Gas Main Installations

Contact your new business coordinator who will assist you in obtaining service for commercial or industrial installations.

procedure and rules for gasification of housing in apartment buildings

If you are a happy owner of an apartment in a new building, then soon you will have to deal with the procedure for connecting gas to new housing. Agree, it is better to understand the issue in advance in order to be fully prepared for all possible difficulties.

In this case, the connection of gas in an apartment is somewhat different from the gasification of a private house, since apartment buildings are managed by a group of people – apartment owners, whose consent is mandatory for connecting the building to the central gas pipeline.

In order to be able to use gas, the owner of the apartment will need to fully prepare the premises for the safe operation of gas equipment. Further in the article, we will reveal the main stages of connecting gas in an apartment, and tell you how to properly prepare your home for the upcoming gasification.

Article content:

  • How to connect to the gas pipeline
    • Specifications for gas connection
    • When is the connection made?
  • Basic rules for gasification in an apartment
  • Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Procedure for connecting to a gas pipeline

consent of each owner of the apartment. Only after that, you can proceed to the next stages of the project.

Depending on the number of gas appliances used inside the apartment, the technical conditions are calculated for each object individually to connect the whole house to the central gas pipeline.

This is a prerequisite, because without the listed documents, the homeowner will not be able to obtain technical conditions.

Next, the homeowner will need to conclude an agreement with a gas distribution company and apply for a gas connection. This document is a confirmation of the possibility of including a new user in the gas system.

The next stage is the preparation of the premises for the subsequent connection of gas, which includes repair work in the apartment. In this case, you will need to fulfill at least the minimum requirements put forward by the gas service.

After all repair and installation work has been completed, the homeowner will need to call a fireman to draw up an act. If all the requirements are met, and the safety regulations are fully observed, then the specialist writes out the appropriate act.

If all the documents are in order, then the owner of the apartment can safely enter into an agreement with the gas company on the purchase of gas and maintenance of the gas supply system

all of the above steps. In addition, at the time of connecting the object to the central gas pipeline, all owners must stay in their apartments.

Specification for gas connection

These requirements are calculated for the safest use of gas equipment, so the fulfillment of technical conditions is a mandatory step for all consumers.

The document contains all the necessary conditions and requirements for the design of the gas pipeline, including its installation parts, as well as for the chemical composition and technical parameters of the fuel.

Drawing up a project of a connected system necessary for the construction of a gas pipeline is impossible without obtaining and further fulfilling the technical specifications

Different consumers may use gas for completely different purposes, for example, someone needs a gas stove for maximum comfort, while another resident of an apartment building plans additional floor heating. In this case, the technical conditions for each consumer will be drawn up individually.

This stage of gas supply in apartment buildings also includes, without which the inspector will not be able to draw up an act. If at least one of the established conditions is not met, the inspection is postponed to another date, by which the homeowner is obliged to fulfill all the requirements.

If the requirements are not properly met, the gas company reserves the right to refuse gasification of a particular apartment.

So, gas equipment is equipped with special ones, while the object can be connected to gas only if the owner of the home meets all the requirements in accordance with the norms of the document SP 42-101-2003 “General provisions for the design and construction of gas distribution systems made of metal and polyethylene pipes.

The fire certificate is valid for only 1 month, during which technical supervision employees must connect the gas

The gas distribution company is responsible for compiling the technical specifications, which is obliged to provide the owner of the apartment with the relevant document within 14 days after the application is submitted. After checking the fulfilled requirements, it is better to order a project in the company advised by the gas company, since this is the only way to speed up the process of connecting gas.

When is the connection made?

Start-up of gas is carried out only if the owner of an apartment in an apartment building has passed all the established stages, including the repair of the premises and with the gas supply company.

An important condition is the passage of a scheduled briefing covering all the most important points for the safe use of gas equipment.

Gas connection is made only if all the established requirements are met by at least 50% of the residents of an apartment building

If the owners of the housing are determined with the exact date, then the specialists of the gas company will be able to spend in apartments that belong to the same riser. To do this, workers will need access to each apartment, because otherwise the pressure test will have to be rescheduled for another date.

This is the most important condition before the direct connection of the object to the central gas pipeline, since gas leaks are often detected at this stage.

In case of detection of a malfunction in the operation of gas equipment, the employees of the gas service will carry out all the necessary work to eliminate them. After successful pressure testing, the date of gas start-up will be announced to the residents of the apartment building. On this day, all apartment owners should also be at home in order to provide access to in-house gas equipment.

Basic rules for gasification in an apartment

In the process of drawing up individual technical conditions, the purpose of using gas by the owner of the apartment, including the number of gas appliances installed, is taken into account. It is on the basis of this information that a list of requirements is compiled.

Employees of GorGaz do not always include mandatory rules for the installation of gas equipment in the technical specifications, therefore, due to their failure to comply with them, an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations will be forced to postpone the date of gas connection

You can familiarize yourself with the established rules for installing gas equipment inside an apartment in the document SP 42-101-2003 “General provisions for the design and construction of gas distribution systems from metal and polyethylene pipes. ”

According to the document, there are a number of minimum requirements established for all gas consumers:

  • painting the gas pipe white;
  • ensuring the sealing of the chimney installation site with cement mortar;
  • installation of a grille on the ventilation duct;
  • installation of a kitchen door with a 3 cm undercut from the floor, and installation of a decorative grille at a distance of 10 cm from the floor;
  • installation of electrical sockets next to the boiler, and an alarm located near the gas meter;
  • purchase of a voltage stabilizer for the boiler;
  • obligatory purchase of a gas stove until the inspection by the inspector;
  • connection of gas-using equipment with stainless steel hoses, no longer than 1.5 m;
  • purchase of a gas stove equipped with a gas control system;
  • availability of all necessary technical documentation for the gas equipment used.

Non-compliance of gas-using equipment with elementary technical requirements is already a basis for refusing to conclude an agreement on the part of the gas supply service.

In order not to slow down the process of connecting gas to the apartment, it is important to fulfill all the established requirements in advance, and only after that call a specialist for an inspection.

For all residents of an apartment building, the installation of indoor gas sensors is mandatory from June 6, 2019.

Another mandatory condition is the installation of “easy-to-shrink” glasses in the kitchen of an apartment building, while gas sensors will also need to be installed in an apartment building.

Of course, such devices will require additional costs, but this will ensure safety not only for the owner of the apartment, but also for the residents of the entire apartment building.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

You can learn about the unexpected difficulties of connecting gas in an apartment from the following video:

. Even if the homeowner has fulfilled all the technical conditions established by the company and has concluded an agreement with the gas supply company, the gas connection process may be suspended.

In order to successfully test the gas equipment and subsequently connect the gas, all residents of an apartment building must be at home in order to ensure access to each apartment. At the final stage, it is important for all residents of the house to cooperate, which will allow gas workers to successfully connect gas to a residential building.

If you have already had to go through all the stages of connecting gas in an apartment, you can share your experience in the comments below the article. Tell our readers what difficulties you encountered in the process of cooperation with the gas company, and what mistakes you had to correct when meeting the technical specifications.

How to move into a new house and not be left without gas

Photo: Barbara Gertier

When it comes to problems with gas equipment in apartment buildings, usually some kind of Khrushchev or Stalinka is imagined, where people with low incomes live who cannot afford to replace a stove or a column on time. However, in Ivanovo more and more situations arise when residents of new buildings complain about the disconnection from gas supply. What are the reasons for this and how those who have already bought or are just about to buy an apartment in a new house can avoid such troubles, we are figuring out together with the chief engineer – deputy general director of Gazprom Gas Distribution Ivanovo JSC Sergey Gruzdev.

– Sergey Alexandrovich, who is still responsible for gas supply to new buildings and why do new settlers often have problems with starting gas in new apartments?
– In accordance with the Rules for connection (technological connection) of gas-using equipment and capital construction facilities to gas distribution networks (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 13, 2021 N 1547), the connection of MKD to gas distribution networks is carried out by a gas distribution organization (GDO) on the basis of a connection agreement. But this does not mean that the GDO is fully responsible for the gas supply of new buildings.
Based on the essence of the problem, then initially all issues related to the gas supply of an apartment building are decided by the developer. It is he who decides whether the house will in principle be connected to the gas supply system, what gas equipment will be installed, whether the house will have a roof gas boiler or individual gas heating. The developer determines what materials and equipment will be installed in the house, in what condition the buyer will receive the apartment – turnkey, or new residents will have to invest additionally in the repair and installation of equipment.
And all information about this should be available to potential buyers of apartments – that is, even at the stage of concluding a shared construction agreement, they must understand in what form they will receive an apartment. This is important, because often problems arise due to the fact that buyers, having become owners of apartments, discover that, for example, there are no gas stoves in the house – there are plugs on the pipes. And this means that you need to purchase stoves, call a specialized organization to install them, conclude contracts for the supply of gas and maintenance of gas equipment – and only then will gas be launched into a specific apartment.
I would like to emphasize that if the developer and apartment owners fulfill their obligations in good faith, then there will be no problems with launching gas in an apartment building – we, as a gas distribution organization, perform the connection as soon as possible.

– What problems do residents (and gas workers) face most often when connecting apartments in new buildings to the gas supply?
– I would like to draw the attention of everyone who buys apartments in gasified new buildings to the following point: in order to connect a specific apartment, it is necessary that its owner conclude a gas supply agreement with Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Ivanovo LLC and an agreement on maintenance of in-house gas equipment. Accordingly, the equipment provided for by the project of the house must be installed and comply with applicable requirements. From the moment of signing the act of acceptance and transfer of the apartment, this is the responsibility of the owner, not the developer.
It is this moment – the lack of agreements for the supply of gas and for the maintenance of VDGO and VKGO among residents – that most often causes a refusal to connect gas to an apartment. And, of course, before connecting the gas, GRO specialists check the equipment. Its malfunction can also cause a connection failure.

– Can a situation arise when a builder issues keys to apartments to equity holders, but for some reason the house is not yet connected to gas supply?
– Here, rather, it is necessary to talk about the obtaining by the developer of permission to put the facility into operation. This permit is issued by local governments, the procedure for issuing is established by the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation.
Among the documents that the developer must provide in order to obtain a commissioning permit, there must be an act on the connection (technological connection) of the capital construction facility to gas distribution networks – of course, if gas supply is provided for by the project. The act of connection is drawn up after the actual connection of the house to the gas distribution network and the start of gas.

– If the house has centralized heating and hot water, can the developer sell apartments without gas equipment, simply by installing plugs on the intra-apartment networks? If yes, then at what amount of equipment installed by the apartment owners is the house connected to gas?
– Initial start-up of gas into the gas consumption network of an apartment building is carried out only if the gas-using equipment provided for by the project is available. The installation of plugs should also be provided for by the project. Access must be provided to all apartments, incl. not yet sold.

– If the house has a roof-top boiler, can a situation arise when such a boiler is not connected to the gas supply after the house is put into operation? To what extent can residents be aware of such problems when signing acts of acceptance and transfer of an apartment?
– In the case when there is a roof boiler house in an apartment building, the work on the actual connection and start-up of gas into the gas pipeline to the roof boiler room is carried out by the gas distribution organization (GDO) with the execution of the act of connection (technological connection). Commissioning works in the boiler room are carried out by a specialized organization under a separate agreement. The gas-using equipment of the boiler house is considered put into operation after commissioning and comprehensive testing. Information on putting the boiler house into operation must be clarified with the developer or management company, if at the time of execution of the act of acceptance and transfer of the apartment it has already been determined.

– If the house is provided with individual gas heating, what problems can new settlers face? Is the equipment checked when the house is put into operation? Can they turn off, say, the riser in such houses during the cold season due to the fact that they did not let the equipment checking into one of the apartments?
– As in previous cases, permission to put into operation an apartment building with gas heating is issued if there is an act on connection (technological connection) of a capital construction object to gas distribution networks. The connection act is drawn up after the actual connection to the gas distribution network and gas start-up. Initial start-up of gas in gas appliances is carried out only after providing access to all apartments and in the presence of gas-using equipment provided for by the project. When accepting the MKD gas consumption network, the acceptance committee created by the developer checks the compliance of the parameters of the constructed gas consumption network with the parameters provided for in the project documentation. Checking the serviceability and commissioning of gas-using equipment are carried out after the acceptance of the gas consumption network into operation.
On the issue of disconnecting risers in the cold season, it should be noted that in accordance with the Rules for the use of gas in terms of ensuring safety when using and maintaining in-house and in-house gas equipment when providing utility services for gas supply (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 14. 05.2013 N 410) in the event of receipt of information about the presence of a threat of an accident, gas leaks or an accident, including the receipt of such information in the course of performing work (rendering services) for the maintenance and repair of in-house and (or) in-house gas equipment, the contractor under the contract is obliged to immediately carry out suspension of gas supply without prior notice to the customer. That is, indeed, due to the unscrupulous behavior of neighbors (refusal to turn off gas appliances in a particular apartment), other residents may suffer. I would like to draw attention to the fact that the frequency of inspections of in-house gas equipment, as well as ventilation ducts, does not depend on the date the house was built. That is, both in new buildings and in houses built in the middle of the last century, inspections are carried out at the same frequency. Therefore, it is in the interests of residents to maintain contact with neighbors, even if they do not live in this house, and also to choose a management company that conscientiously performs its duties.

– How often do problems with gas connection or refusal to connect gas supply occur in Ivanovo new buildings? What would you advise people to pay attention to when concluding a shared construction agreement?
– According to the practice of connecting apartment buildings to the gas supply system, there is a steady dependence of the speed of the appearance of gas in apartments on the successful interaction of the developer, the management company and the residents of the house. Since the GDO, when starting gas in an MKD, interacts mainly with the developer and with the management company, and not with each resident, it is very important for the management company and the developer to inform future residents of the house about what actions they need to take in order to came to the apartments. These actions include, for example, the conclusion of a contract for the maintenance of VDGO / VKGO, the conclusion of a contract for the supply of gas, without which gas will not be allowed into the apartment; ensuring the presence of the owner of the apartment during the work on starting gas.