Test Energy

Single-assembly prescriptive energy gut-check — proposed R-value or U-factor versus the IECC prescriptive table for the assembly + climate zone — against IECC text the user supplies.

This command does not carry IECC values. Every limit cited in the output is a verbatim quote from text the user pasted, or text the command fetched from an explicitly-named official URL with the user's authorization.

For a multi-assembly envelope sweep, use the energy-compliance skill (full COMcheck / REScheck documentation). For interpretation use /explain-u-value. For fenestration-specific tests use /test-glazing.

Inputs the command needs

1. Assembly under test — name one:
   • Above-grade wall — mass / metal-framed / wood-framed / framed + continuous insulation
   • Roof — insulation entirely above deck / metal building / attic and other
   • Floor — mass / steel-joist / wood-framed
   • Slab on grade (perimeter R-value and depth)
   • Below-grade wall (CI rating and depth)
2. Proposed value — R-value (preferred for opaque) or U-factor (alternative path), with units. Provide both if known. Effective vs nominal — note which.
3. Climate zone — 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A–3C, 4A–4C, 5A–5C, 6A–6B, 7, 8. Cite the project city if you want the command to confirm CZ via /climate-zone-mapper (optional).
4. Project type — commercial (IECC Ch. C) vs residential (IECC Ch. R). For R-2 group, low-rise individually metered may default to residential — verify per Ch. 2.
5. Compliance path — prescriptive (this command's scope) or performance / ECB (out of scope — flag and route to energy-compliance).
6. Jurisdiction — base IECC always applies. Stricter overlays:
   • CA Title 24 Part 6 (stricter than IECC on most lines)
   • NYC Energy Conservation Code (NYECCC) + Local Law 97
   • DSA (CA K-12)
   • CA HCAI (CA hospitals)
   • OBC SB-10 (Toronto — references ASHRAE 90.1 with provincial amendments)
   • Boston Stretch Energy Code
7. Source for the operative table text — paste / fetch / arch-rag:
   • Paste verbatim row from IECC Table C402.1.3 (R-value) / Table C402.1.4 (U-factor) / Table R402.1.2 / Table R402.1.3, including header.
   • Fetch from AHJ amendment / state energy code page.
   • arch-rag if IECC PDF indexed locally.

The command refuses to compute against recalled R / U values.

Workflow

1. Echo parsed inputs: assembly / proposed R or U / climate zone / project type / path / jurisdiction.
2. Identify reference area: IECC Ch. C — Commercial Energy Efficiency or Ch. R — Residential Energy Efficiency. Do not claim specific table values from recall.
3. Acquire source text.
4. For overlay jurisdictions (CA Title 24 Part 6, NYECCC, OBC SB-10), require overlay text or stop.
5. Math against verbatim source.
6. Output the table + attribution + caveats.

Output template

# Test Energy — [Assembly, CZ, plain title]

**Assembly:** [2x6 wood-framed wall + R-5 CI / Roof above-deck / Slab perimeter]
**Proposed:** [R-30 cavity + R-5 CI / U-0.064]
**Climate zone:** [4A — NYC]
**Project type:** [commercial — IECC Ch. C / residential — IECC Ch. R]
**Path:** [prescriptive — this command's scope]
**Jurisdiction:** [base IECC 2024 / + CA Title 24 Part 6 / + NYECCC / + OBC SB-10]

## Reference area
IECC Ch. C — `Table C402.1.3` (R-value alternative) / `Table C402.1.4` (U-factor alternative) / Ch. R — `Table R402.1.2` / `Table R402.1.3`.

## Source text under test
> [Verbatim quote of the table row for the assembly + CZ.]

(Source: pasted by user / fetched from <URL> on <YYYY-MM-DD>)

## Comparison
| Value | Provided | Required (per quoted source) | Verdict | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R / U | ... | "<verbatim limit>" | PASS / FAIL / MARGINAL | ... |

## Jurisdictional flags
- [If overlay in scope and overlay source provided: include overlay row.]
- [If overlay in scope but overlay source missing: list the overlay text the user must paste / fetch. Do not math against base IECC alone for CA / NYC / Toronto / Boston.]

## Caveats
- Single-assembly prescriptive gut-check; not a stamped energy compliance report. `COMcheck` / `REScheck` or whole-building energy modeling required for permit.
- Effective R-value depends on framing factor (~23% for 2x6 @ 16 in o.c.) and thermal bridging. Cavity R-value alone overstates assembly performance — verify against the source's tabular convention.
- All limit values come from the source the user pasted or the URL fetched on <date>. The command did not recall any IECC value from training.
- IECC editions and AHJ amendments change. `IECC 2024` differs from `IECC 2021` on multiple fenestration and CI lines.
- Performance path (`IECC §C407` / `§R405`) and `ECB` (`ASHRAE 90.1-2022 §11`) are out of scope for this command — flag to `energy-compliance`.
- Binding interpretation is the AOR / MEP Engineer stamp plus AHJ review.

NA AEC conventions (enforce)

• English only.
• R-values lead, U-factors second. Imperial-first throughout. Never lead with W/m²K metric U-values.
• Codes: IECC, ASHRAE 90.1, ASHRAE 90.2, NBC Sec. 9.36, OBC SB-10, CA Title 24 Part 6. Reject KBC, KS, EN, BS, JIS, DIN.
• AHJs named: NYC DOB, LADBS, DSA, CA HCAI, Toronto Building, Boston ISD, Chicago DOB. Never the AHJ or the city.
• Floors: Level 3 / L3 / 3rd floor. Never 3F.
• Roles: Architect of Record (AOR), MEP Engineer, Energy Modeler, Commissioning Authority (CxA). Never Director as a project role.

Constraints

• Never invent IECC R / U values.
• Never paraphrase Table C402.1.3 / R402.1.2 — verbatim only.
• Never claim a specific table number / row from recall.
• Distinguish prescriptive vs performance vs ECB explicitly. This command is prescriptive only.
• Distinguish framing factor vs cavity-only — flag if the proposed is cavity-only and assembly is framed.
• Single assembly, single shot. Multi-assembly → energy-compliance.
• No docs/ artifact, no Word / PDF, no aec-doc-gen.
• Caveat block always present.
• Fetch only after explicit user authorization.

Anti-patterns (never do)

• Stating values inline ("R-30 + R-7.5 CI for CZ 4A wall") — never. Numbers live only in the quoted source.
• Claiming Table C402.1.3 row from recall — never.
• Treating CA / NYC / Toronto / Boston projects as base-IECC only — overlay text required.
• Auto-fetching without explicit authorization.
• Hedging — verdicts are PASS / FAIL / MARGINAL.
• Running energy-compliance from inside this command — pointer-only.
• Collapsing cavity R + CI R linearly — non-additive due to framing factor.