Residential heat pump systems: water heaters and HVAC: installations.

Senator Wiener's residential heat pump legislation establishes a statewide certification program and streamlined permitting process to accelerate the adoption of electric heating and cooling systems in California homes. The bill creates a standardized framework for contractor certification while limiting local jurisdictions' ability to impose additional requirements or excessive fees on heat pump installations.

Under the new law, the California Energy Commission must develop a certification program by January 2027 that allows contractors to self-certify heat pump installations after completing approved training or demonstrating installation proficiency. Local governments must accept these certifications and can only conduct spot inspections on up to 10% of certified installations. The legislation also requires cities and counties to implement automated online permitting by July 2027, with permits issued the same day applications are submitted.

The bill caps residential permit fees at $50 for heat pump water heaters and $150 for HVAC systems unless jurisdictions can demonstrate higher costs are justified. Local ordinances that restrict replacing gas appliances with electric ones become void, as do homeowner association rules prohibiting heat pump installations. Cities and counties cannot mandate additional standards beyond state building codes except for public health and safety purposes.

To ensure consistent implementation, the Energy Commission must create a standardized two-page compliance checklist by July 2026 for jurisdictions to verify installations meet building code requirements. The checklist will help determine whether installations constitute simple appliance replacements or require additional architectural or electrical modifications.