Building Energy Codes News

A course from ASHRAE on the requirements of the standard, Understanding Standard 189.1P for High-Performance, Green Buildings, takes place March 15 and is taught by Tom Lawrence, a member of the committee that developed the standard. The course is one of 14 being offered this spring.

The National Green Building Standard Commentary, a companion publication to the ANSI-approved ICC-700-2008 National Green Building Standard, offers designers and builders using the standard useful insights into the intention and implementation of its practices, and provisions for developing or renovating all types of residences for low environmental impact.

They call themselves the Climate Corps – a group of elite master of business administration students who want to make corporate America more energy efficient, one company at a time. So far, the interns have identified $54 million in energy savings for the companies. This translates to 160 million kilowatts a year – enough to power 14,000 homes or cut 100,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

In late 2009, a proposal was adopted to amend the Indiana Energy Conservation Code by adopting ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 for commercial and residential buildings. This would be the first substantial commercial code update in two decades. An effective date is expected in early May.

The Obama Administration is pledging up to $130 million for a multi-agency initiative that seeks to boost regional economies while making buildings more energy efficient. The plan will create an Energy Regional Innovation Cluster that will partner with local governments and building industry experts to reduce energy use.

From green roofs to glazing products, measures to increase energy stringencies are being proposed for major sections of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. Nine proposed addenda to the standard are now open for public review. Eric Richman, chair of the 90.1 lighting subcommittee and lighting expert for the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Energy Codes Program said, "This will encourage designers to use more efficient lighting technology applications that provide more light without using more energy..." and "...incorporate effective daylighting and corresponding electric lighting control into their designs."

The EnergyPlus building simulation program is used in the analysis assuming climate conditions similar to that experienced in hot countries of the Arabian Gulf, such as Kuwait. The main objective of the investigation is to meet the limits stipulated in the mandatory Kuwaiti code of practice for energy conservation, with respect to peak AC demand, for both air-cooled and water-cooled AC systems.

San Francisco has established the nation's largest green financing program to allow businesses and homeowners to pay for efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy improvements through future property taxes. The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program will make $150 million in bonding capacity available to the city's property owners beginning March 1.

The Energy Code Calculator is a tool developed by BCAP and the Alliance to Save Energy in an effort to show the overall savings energy code implementation will have on a given jurisdiction. This tool will give users the ability to effectively show both commercial and residential savings when implementing the energy code.

Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, along with building efficiency experts in China, are working to analyze the building energy codes and their enforcement systems in the U.S. and China. This work was highlighted in the recent bilateral Energy Efficiency Action Plan announced by President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China, which notes the countries' plans to promote greener buildings through energy efficient building codes, training building inspectors and developing advanced energy rating systems. To date, PNNL scientists have worked with more than 140 implementation and enforcement professionals in China to develop building energy code and efficiency strategies.

Updated building energy-efficiency standards were adopted by the California Energy Commission last month.

Although West Virginia's code update schedule would normally require code updates only a few years after new code versions are published, the state is presently considering an early update to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.

The Office of the Attorney General drafted a memo specifying the requirements of adoption of the residential and commercial energy codes. All cities and counties with building codes will be required to adopt and enforce a relatively up-to-date building energy code (2003 International Energy Conservation Code). 

The states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington were authorized to form the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council. The Act directed the Council to draw up a plan for meeting the electrical needs of the region at the lowest possible cost. The plan called on Bonneville and region's utilities to develop and implement a wide array of conservation programs, and to adopt more energy-efficient building codes.

The early stages of building design include a number of decisions which have a strong influence on the performance of the building throughout the rest of the process. It is therefore important that designers are aware of the consequences of these design decisions. This program helps designers to make informed decisions.

On January 28, companion bills were introduced in the Tennessee House and Senate that would establish ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 as the minimum energy standard for all new buildings that are not one- and two-family dwellings. The bills, however, also allow jurisdictions to adopt Standard 90.1-2001, its equivalent, or a more stringent code.

On January 14, a bill was introduced in the Alabama State Legislature that would provide a process for adoption and compliance with codes required under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On January 26, the House passed the bill unanimously.

Revisions that would make Boulder County's green-building code far more flexible will be recommended to county commissioners after gaining the unanimous approval of an advisory board on Monday. As approved by the county's Board of Review, the proposed changes would allow many of the people who plan to build a new home or addition in unincorporated Boulder County to meet the code's requirement using a prescriptive approach– which works like a checklist– instead of the existing performance-based approach.

On February 1st, the NYC Green Codes Task Force released its much-anticipated report–the most sophisticated and comprehensive analysis of building codes ever conducted by a municipality anywhere. The proposals would affect building codes as well as other codes, such as zoning, health, consumer affairs, and environmental protection—resulting in greener, healthier buildings for all New Yorkers.

As demand for more stringent codes grows, so, too, does the complexity of the energy codes process and the need for a broader coalition of stakeholders. For anyone new to codes, simply identifying the many actors involved can be a daunting task, much less finding opportunities for involvement. To help make sense of it all, BCAP is proud to introduce the Energy Codes Universe!