Northern Nevada Welcomes a New Compliance Path

Posted on September 28, 2016October 4, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Several municipalities and counties in Northern Nevada recently joined states around the nation by adopting the 2015 IECC Energy Rating Index (ERI) compliance option. The state’s current residential energy code – the 2012 IECC – is still in effect, but has been amended in these locations to include an ERI compliance path and a 2009 IECC thermal envelope backstop. This path requires an ERI score of 63 or below, about 12% less efficient than the score of 51 required for complianc...

The Energy Rating Index: What does the future hold?

Posted on March 17, 2016September 29, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

By Ryan Meres, IMT A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog about the Energy Rating Index (ERI), the new compliance path included in the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). With the 2018 version of the IECC being developed this year, it seems appropriate to look at the success of the ERI and what the future may hold. A Quick RefresherThe voluntary ERI path for the 2015 IECC gives builders the option of complying with the code by meeting a target Energy Rating Index score. This ...

Do Energy Codes Work?

Posted on December 15, 2015May 4, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Preliminary results from the largest residential energy code field study ever conducted in the U.S. show they do. By Ryan Meres, IMT Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that eight states would be part of a three-year Residential Energy Code Field Study. Once completed, the study will provide an unprecedented opportunity to develop new strategies for education, training, and outreach for improving the energy efficiency of single-family homes, as well as a measurement of t...

Homebuyer Demand for Energy Codes

Posted on December 4, 2015December 14, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Consumer demand for energy efficiency is a topic energy code advocates need to understand. We want to know the answers to questions like "do consumers believe in conserving energy through increasing energy efficiency in their homes?" and "how much are consumers willing to pay for home improvements for efficiency?" so that we can make a stronger case for our support for energy efficient building codes. Recently, BCAP looked at four major consumer surveys and summarized their findings in a fact ...

DOE Issues Final Determination On The 2015 IECC

Posted on June 11, 2015May 23, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

The Department of Energy has announced findings on energy savings from adopting and complying with the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Compared with residential buildings meeting the 2012 IECC, the 2015 edition achieves national source energy savings of approximately 0.87 percent, site energy savings of approximately 0.98 percent, and energy cost savings of 0.73 percent of residential building energy consumption. With the final determination established, each state is now req...

My View: Utah Needs New Energy Codes That Make Buildings, Homes More Efficient

Posted on June 7, 2015May 6, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

By David Brems and Kevin Emerson via Deseret News Air pollution is a top concern for Utah citizens. So is financial stability. Improving our air quality while saving money for Utahns is a win-win opportunity. This summer, decision-makers will be voting whether or not to adopt up-to-date building energy codes that will help new homes and buildings constructed in Utah cut energy waste, lower air pollution and reduce Utahns’ energy bills. The average Utah home wastes far too much energy bec...

New Homes Must Meet 2009 IECC to Qualify For Federal Mortgage Insurance

Posted on May 12, 2015May 23, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined last week that the adoption of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for single family homes and the 2007 edition of ASHRAE 90.1 for multifamily buildings will have zero negative impact on the affordability and availability of certain HUD- and USDA-assisted housing, specified in section 481 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). 2009 IECC and A...

DOE’s Three Year Residential Energy Code Field Study

Posted on May 12, 2015May 18, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

In September 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced eight states that would participate in a three year Residential Energy Code Field Study. The states include: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas. Through the project, DOE plans to establish a sufficient data set to represent statewide construction trends and detect significant changes in energy use from training, education and outreach activities. The study comprises three main ...

Energy Codes Preserve Homeowner Health And Comfort

Posted on May 12, 2015May 18, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Problems like leaky ducts, oversized HVAC systems, and uninsulated hot water pipes negatively affect more than just energy consumption. By Ryan Meres Following up on my last blog post in which I covered some of the non-energy benefits of complying with up-to-date building energy codes, in this post, I’ll highlight a few more important areas where the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the most widely adopted energy code for residential construction, aligns with other building...

Highlights of the 2015 IECC Residential Code Changes

Posted on January 28, 2015May 18, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Written by Ryan Meres Looking at what makes the 2015 IECC different from the 2012 version, the biggest change that will affect builders is the addition of an Energy Rating Index (ERI) compliance path. This article will outline some other important changes. Five of the major changes in the 2015 IECC that will affect new home construction include specifying required inspections; revised requirements for vertical access doors; a new requirement for combustion closets; revisions to the building en...

Energy Codes Get It Done

Posted on December 1, 2014May 20, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

If every state began 2015 with the 2012 IECC for residential and commercial construction and moved from 60% compliance to 100% compliance by 2030, how much would the cumulative source energy savings, energy cost savings, and carbon emission reductions be in 2030? Using the energy data provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and BCAP's Energy Code Calculator, BCAP calculated the estimated savings and reductions in each state. Cumulative State Savings (view full-size vers...

A note from Sam Rashkin: It’s the Window Stupid…

Posted on November 5, 2014May 18, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Written by Sam Rashkin, DOE I have personally delivered over 25 zero energy ready home (ZERH) training classes across the country. Consistently, one of the biggest “ah-hah” moments in the four-hour course is the huge impact windows have on overall wall assembly performance. Even with just a 15% window-to-floor-area ratio, windows represent a giant thermal hole that disproportionately upsets all the good work you do on the insulated wall assemblies. Who knew? Below is a table I devel...

The Growth Of DET Verifier Programs

Posted on July 31, 2014July 29, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifiers are individuals certified to perform duct and envelope tightness testing on residential construction. The term and concept first appeared in the 2011 Georgia Amendments to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Georgia amended the 2009 IECC to require building envelope leakage testing and eliminated the visual inspection option. Since the 2009 IECC already required duct leakage testing, this meant that both a duct and envelope leakage ...

High-R Wall Construction Strategies: Reducing Costs And Risk While Increasing Energy Performance

Posted on April 17, 2014August 11, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

by Seul Rhee The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America research program has been a source of innovations in residential building energy performance, durability, quality, affordability and comfort for nearly 20 years. This world-class research program partners with industry (including many of the top U.S. homebuilders) to bring cutting-edge innovations and resources to market. The NAHB Research Center Building America industry team's high-R wall system research focuses primarily on incre...

Code Officials Defeat Proposals To Rollback Historic Efficiency Gains In America’s Model Energy Code

Posted on October 8, 2013August 12, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Atlantic City, N.J., October 8, 2013 – Sound energy policy prevailed as local and state governmental officials rejected dozens of builder-sponsored home efficiency rollback proposals in a three-day marathon meeting convened by the International Code Council (ICC) to develop the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). "Today was a victory for America’s homebuyers," said Bill Fay, Executive Director of the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC). "By dismissing efforts to roll back ...

2013 Mayors Resolution Supports Stronger 2015 IECC

Posted on July 15, 2013October 20, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

By William D. Fay, Executive Director, Energy Efficient Codes Coalition With hard-fought efficiency gains at stake, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) voted unanimously to encourage municipal support for all eligible code officials to attend the ICC’s Final Action Hearings this October in Atlantic City to support continued efficiency gains for America’s model energy code, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The local and state code and other officials voting at the hearings w...

Why Energy Codes Matter: Resources for Advocates, Consumers, and Policymakers

Posted on June 1, 2012May 18, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Factsheet for Consumers Factsheet for Policymakers Factsheet for Advocates

New Online Guides Teach Consumers How Building Codes Make Homes More Energy Efficient

Posted on October 12, 2011July 25, 2016 by Kamaria Greenfield

Thanks to the new partnership between BCAP and Consumers Union, user-friendly, interactive online guides and downloadable publications are helping homeowners and buyers save energy and money by teaching them the potential of building energy codes to address and improve home energy performance. "Everyone should have the right to an energy-efficient home that meets national standards," said Cosimina Panetti, advocacy director of BCAP. "Energy codes – minimum requirements for efficient design and ...