State Code Status: Arizona

Arizona State Codes

Arizona is a home rule state and does not have a mandatory statewide energy code.
For a list of jurisdictional energy code adoptions, please click here.

Current Commercial Code of Arizona

No statewide code. The majority of localities have adopted at least the 2009 IECC.

COMcheck is applicable by county or jurisdiction.

Current Residential Code of Arizona

No statewide code. ACEEE estimates that over 90% of Arizona’s population is covered by either the 2009 or 2006 IECC.

REScheck is applicable by county or jurisdiction.

Climate Zones: 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B

Code Adoption and Change Process

Code Change Process

Arizona codes are adopted and enforced on a local level. At present, statewide adoption of an energy code, residential and/or commercial, must be mandated by the legislature.

Code Change Cycle

No set schedule

Next Code Update

Unknown

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Historyte

January 2015 Arizona introduces Senate Bill 1020, which would amend Section 34-451 of the Arizona Revised Statutes relating to energy conservation in buildings. Changes would include requirements for existing buildings over 50,000 sq. ft. and for public and state buildings. SB 1020 dies in the Senate Water and Energy Committee.
July 1, 2013 After a code update process that began in August of 2012, the 2012 Phoenix Building Construction Code, including the 2012 IECC with city amendments, becomes effective.
August 2013 In order to certify compliance with Title III of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (ECPA), the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy estimates that the communities collectively containing almost two-thirds of Arizona’s 2010 population (65.4%) have adopted either the 2009 or the 2012 IECC, and another 14.7% have adopted the 2006 IECC. Read the state certification here.
May 1, 2013 The 2012 IECC becomes effective in the city of Peoria.
January 1, 2013 The 2012 IECC with local amendments becomes effective in Pima County. On August 7, 2012, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to approve Ordinance No. 2012-34 adopting the 2012 I-Codes, including the energy code. Duct and blower door testing shall be conducted by individuals holding current certification for such testing from Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), Building Performance Institute (BPI) or other approved agencies.
May 1, 2012 The City Council of Peoria approves Ordinance 2012-08, adopting codes including the 2012 IECC. The new codes will become effective May 1, 2013. The city’s current codes are based on the 2006 I-Codes.
January 1, 2012 The 2009 IECC becomes effective in the city of Mesa. On July 14, 2011, the Mesa City Council voted to add energy efficiency standards to the Mesa Building Code and Mesa Residential Code. Ordinance No. 5055 added the Mesa Energy Code (based on the 2009 IECC) for residential and commercial construction. The city had previously adopted much of the ICC code series. Chapter 13 of the IBC and Chapter 11 of the IRC have been deleted to reference the Mesa Energy Code.
2011 Research conducted by the Phoenix Chapter’s Technical Committee finds that only half of Arizona’s 15 counties have adopted an energy code and representatives from over 40% of the 49 cities researched indicate that they have not adopted an energy code.
March 2009 House Bill 2337 is introduced. This legislation “establishes energy efficiency goals for residential and commercial construction, schools and state buildings, and allows state agencies and school districts to enter into energy performance and renewable energy power purchase contracts and utilize the savings realized from these contracts”. HB 2337 eventually dies in the Senate Rules Committee.
December 2008 Executive Order 2008-29 reaffirms a similar order from 2005. It requires all new state-funded buildings to achieve at least a LEED Silver rating. Also, the Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Administration and the Arizona School Facilities Board must submit annual reports to the Governor and to the Department of Administration summarizing: (a) actions taken to achieve the renewable and energy efficiency goals of the Order; (b) the extent to which the goal has been achieved; and (c) if the goal was not achieved, an explanation of why and an assessment of what can be done to achieve the goals.
February 11, 2005 Governor Janet Napolitano signs Executive Order 2005-05, requiring all new state-funded buildings constructed after February 11, 2005 to achieve at least a Silver LEED green building rating as well as meet the energy standards of ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
May 4, 2001 The state legislature passes HB 2541, which results in Arizona Law 2001, Chapter 340. This statute establishes the Arizona State Energy Code, and further established a State Energy Code Advisory Council to review and recommend changes to the State Energy Code. (This council has since been terminated.) In addition, legislation adopted in 2003 requires state agencies and universities to achieve a 10% reduction in energy use per unit of floor area by 2008, and a 15% reduction by 2011.
1999 The Joint Legislative Energy Efficiency Code Study Committee is formed by the Arizona legislature to discuss possible adoptions of energy efficiency codes. As a result of the Committee’s recommendations, the Arizona Legislature introduces and enacts legislation encouraging voluntary adoption of commercial and residential energy codes.

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Contacts

Lisa Henderson
Community Energy Program Manager
Arizona Department of Administration
Office of Grants and Federal Resources
Email: Lisa.Henderson@azdoa.gov

Jim Meyers
Director, Buildings Efficiency Program
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
Email: jmeyers@swenergy.org

Christine Brinker
Senior Associate, Buildings Efficiency Program
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
Email: cbrinker@swenergy.org

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