Energy code circuit riders are in-field experts that meet with specific individuals to address code compliance and enforcement needs. Circuit riders travel to individual jurisdictions to provide tailored technical assistance and resources to support energy code compliance. The Florida program aimed to develop a snapshot of code enforcement in the field, and identify needs for future targeted technical assistance to strengthen enforcement of Florida’s commercial code.
This report from SEEA ...
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Compliance
Florida’s New Train-The-Trainer Program Launches

The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) have teamed up to prepare building code trainers to deliver effective energy code training for the Florida construction industry. The organizations developed a curriculum in early 2015 and held the first train-the-trainer series in late February. The train-the-trainer session’s purpose is to introduce the curriculum, training techniques, and valuable skills to new and existing local trainers as...
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DOE’s Three Year Residential Energy Code Field Study
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 sta...
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Outreach to Architects in Pennsylvania
by Maria Ellingson, BCAP
As often the first point of contact with prospective owners of new homes and buildings, architects are a key influencer in determining the level of energy efficiency that is included in new construction and major renovation projects. But architects have been largely absent from an important issue that’s left Pennsylvania unable to adopt an updated building code.
The process for adopting the state building code - the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) - is currently de...
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The City Energy Project Assessment Methodology For Energy Code Compliance In Medium To Large Cities
The City Energy Project Assessment Methodology is designed to assist cities in identifying residential and commercial energy code compliance issues and help identify the areas they should focus on in order to improve their compliance rates. The methodology helps cities identify common areas of non-compliance as well as the causes of non-compliance. Compliance information collected as part of the study can also contribute to larger statewide compliance studies. Strategies to compliance are contai...
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Building a Stronger Local Energy Code Network in Oklahoma and Texas
More people in Oklahoma and Texas will soon enjoy the benefits of a stronger local energy code community through the work of twelve newly-certified Energy Code Ambassadors. These volunteers will work under the auspices of the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER), the newest regional energy efficiency organization. In December 2014, SPEER doubled the number of its Energy Code Ambassadors from the previous year’s inaugural class.
John Umphress, Building Code ...
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What Have We Done Lately?
BCAP asked the National Energy Codes Collaborative:What have we done in 2014?
Approval for DOE National Energy Codes Conference in Nashville, TN
Determinations
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 (final)
2015 IECC (preliminary)
HUD 2009 (preliminary
Compliance Initiatives
Circuit Rider in Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Utility programs in Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island
Collaboratives in Minnesota, Oklahoma
Baseline studies in Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio
C...
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Energy Codes Get It Done
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 v...
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The Carrot Or The Stick? Navigating The Balance In Strategies For Improving Energy Code Compliance
Written by Ryan Meres and Seul Rhee
Energy efficiency advocates, governments, utilities, and others that fund energy code compliance initiatives often question whether enforcement or training and outreach are more effective at driving higher compliance rates.
The answer isn’t obvious. Case in point: a recent energy code auditing initiative of New York City’s Department of Buildings is driving more stakeholders to meet the energy code, proving that more stringent enforcement increases...
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Codes, Standards and Rating Systems
Are architects unaware of their legal obligations under licensure, or are they simply negligent?
Maureen Guttman, AIA
In the United States, national model energy codes were created in response to the energy and economic crises of the 1970s. In 1978, Congress passed the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, which required states that received federal financial assistance to initiate energy efficiency standards for new buildings. In 1992, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act (EPAct), which up...
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