Our post Tuesday covered the energy savings affected by improved building energy codes. There are two primary baseline building energy codes that states and localities can adopt to regulate new building design and construction.

In most states, buildings adhere to either the 2006 or 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), standards which cover both residential and commercial buildings. Energy conservation measures are addressed through building envelope design, mechanical, and lighting systems. New buildings constructed according to the 2009 IECC can achieve energy savings that are 15% beyond those that follow the 2006 standard.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) establishes an energy standard for the commercial design community; the 2010 version is slated for late October publication. Both standards are model codes, thus changes are routinely made to meet specific state or local jurisdiction requirements.  Interactive maps are available for searching the current status of state energy codes. 

Additionally, in an ongoing effort to promote the adoption of building energy codes, the Department of Energy offers free education and training materials, as well as code-compliance software, through their Building Energy Codes Program.

Building energy codes are one of the simplest, most effective tools available to limit new building energy use, and go a long way to achieving targets of low or zero energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions. State and local energy-efficiency codes affect all new buildings being developed in a jurisdiction, and they establish a foundation on which energy and green programs can expand.

For specific questions regarding building energy codes, please comment to this post or access the Solution Center for Technical Assistance.

Content for this Blog post courtesy of Scott Regenthal, National Renewable Energy Laboratory