The ideal candidate for Energy Code Champion is someone who has been working hard behind the scenes to advocate for improving building energy codes. By recognizing these committed contributors, we want to help in amplifying their voice and increasing their sphere of influence. If you would like to nominate someone, please send their name, organization, and a few sentences on their work promoting and advancing energy codes to info@bcapcodes.org.

Energy Code Champion February 2016: Pam Cole

We congratulate Pam Cole for being the first Energy Code Champion of 2016!

Pam Cole has served as a Research Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for over fifteen years. Pam is a valuable resource within the DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), overseeing compliance and technical assistance for national model and state specific energy codes. She offers states and local jurisdictions expert guidance on the adoption and compliance of residential and commercial building energy codes.

Pam also supports the DOE’s Building America program under the Codes and Standards Innovation (CSI) project where she helps identify and remove barriers for bringing building science innovations to market. She oversees the development of the newly released Code Compliance Briefs in Building America’s Solution Center, providing code-related information about Building America’s research, best practices, and new innovations to help ensure that the measures will be accepted as being in compliance with codes and standards.

For many years Pam Cole has provided consistent support to state and local officials. Her enthusiasm, commitment to excellence, and steadfast support to the building energy codes industry is outstanding, and we appreciate her hard work!

Energy Code Champion February 2015: Sudhir Jindal

Sudhir Jindal is a Professional Engineer and Plans Examiner for the State of Ohio with responsibilities of ensuring compliance with building codes and ordinances focused on energy efficiency with all buildings at the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance.

Mr. Jindal became an Energy Code Ambassador in late 2013. Since then, Mr. Jindal has volunteered to provide education and support to building officials at various local building departments in Ohio, and is available to answer questions asked by local code officials. As an Ambassador, Mr. Jindal also developed a course and had it approved for three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the Ohio Board of Building Standards (BBS), making an energy code course more desirable for other code officials. The course is entitled 2009 IECC and 2013 Ohio Residential Code, Chapter 11. Mr. Jindal’s energy code classes are often evaluated as “outstanding”. One reviewer praises his excellent delivery and depth of knowledge, and says that his “ability to hold an audience’s attention and present the information in an interesting and informative way was very enjoyable.”

For all Mr. Jindal has done and for more he will do for his local energy code communities, BCAP is delighted to recognize Mr. Jindal’s contribution to improve energy code compliance and enforcement in Ohio. We thank him for his enthusiasm and support for transforming the culture of how the code enforcement community and the construction industry view energy codes.

Congratulations, Mr. Jindal, and please keep up the amazing work that you do with your peers!

Energy Code Champion December 2014: John Umphress

Although statewide adoption in Texas is not automatic upon publication of new code editions by ASHRAE or ICC, Texas is one of the few states with progressive local energy code adoption. Certainly such active energy code adoption in local jurisdictions is due to passionate local code officials and energy code advocates who raise awareness of the benefits of energy codes and go the extra mile to build a supportive, local infrastructure for a higher compliance.

John Umphress is one of those passionate leaders who understand the benefits energy efficient building codes. John has been working in building energy efficiency for more than 30 years, and has been an amazing resource for local building professionals in Texas. John works with Austin Energy’s Green Building team as the Senior Green Building and Sustainability Consultant, providing Central Texans information and assistance on how to design and construct more sustainable homes and buildings.

In 2013, John also became an Energy Code Ambassador, an initiative created by BCAP and the International Code Council (ICC) and implemented by the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER). As an Ambassador, John volunteers 3-5 hours per month for training and consulting his peers and other jurisdictions on anything and everything related to energy codes. Most recently John was the instructor for the Energy Code Ambassador program (ECAP) and trained 12 new candidates for the program in TX and OK. “We are lucky to have John on our team, raising awareness and his enthusiasm regarding energy codes”, said Chris Herbert, Managing Director of SPEER.

One of John’s many achievements is making green building fun for people who may not know much about sustainability. Here’s a video in which John hangs out with Matt Risinger, a builder in Austin, in an attic and casually informs us on attic best practices for a hot and humid climate.

He also recently did a video blog on general features of an energy efficient home and the importance of the energy code.

Congratulations, John, and please keep up the amazing work that you do with your team!

Energy Code Champion October 2014: David Weitz

Much of the success of advancing and promoting energy code adoption and implementation can be attributed to tireless work behind the scenes by people like our Energy Code Champions. For more than 20 years, David Weitz has contributed smart thought and energy efficiency leadership to developing technical best practices for building code design and building science.

David is currently the Director of Applied Building Science at Conservation Services Group (CSG), where he has served since 2006. At CSG, he provides key oversight on new codes assistance projects in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. His team’s focus includes building material and installation guidelines, QA/QC processes and inspection protocols, and overseeing technical development and technology acquisition. He also provides leadership on building science issues and the development and incorporation of new techniques, services and technologies into energy efficiency programs. These efforts enabled delivery of 20,000+ effective site inspections by Conservation Services Group in 2013 alone.

Prior to his director role, David led the energy code upgrade effort for the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations in their transition to national model codes, and was the Executive Director of BCAP. David also served as the first chairman of the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Standards Management Board, helping BPI to professionalize standards development efforts as an ANSI-accredited organization.

With a mission to improve technical building standards, David has devoted much of his career to the design and enforcement of energy code requirements. And he never forgets being a thoughtful manager to his team wherever he goes, inspiring loyalty and encouraging dedication to the energy efficiency cause. BCAP commends David for his tireless involvement in emerging technologies and energy modeling and for continuously seeking new ways to improve energy efficiency programs, finding deeper energy savings and supporting Home Performance industry growth.

Energy Code Champion July 2014: Jack Applegate

As Chief Building Official in Astoria, Oregon, Applegate’s tireless efforts in advancing building energy codes and technology in the state and across the country are so numerous they exhaust an editor just writing them down. In addition to his work as Building Official, he promotes sustainable practices in historic preservation as an adjunct instructor in the Historic Preservation Program at Clatsop Community College, where he also serves on the Historic Preservation Advisory board, promoting the reuse of materials and combining modern technology to gain energy savings. Applegate also serves on the North Coast Building Industry Association (Local Home Builder Association) as Vice President of the Board where he provides free Energy Code classes to licensed contractors on the Oregon Coast to teach the ever evolving energy provisions. At the national level, Applegate serves on the ICC Building Codes Action Committee, ICC Energy Code Exam Committee and is an active member of the ICC Sustainability Membership Council.

Applegate publishes a free monthly newsletter and a Facebook page titled Oregon Coast Green Building News where he keeps code officials and contractors up to date on energy code changes and new technologies.
In 2012, Applegate won the Oregon Building Official Association Building Safety Award, and in the following year, was a finalist for the ICC National Leadership in Sustainability Award from the ICC.

Most recently during the Building Safety month, Applegate hosted and presented a free three-hour class to the community on compliance with the Residential Energy Code and easy upgrades for homeowners, as well as a class for the Oregon Building Officials Association in Salem, Oregon.

Congratulations, Jack….thanks for your good work!

Energy Code Champion January 2014: Gary Flamm

BCAP is proud to announce Gary Flamm of the California Energy Commission, as January’s BCAP Energy Code Champion! Flamm, Supervisor at the California Energy Commission, has been behind the highly-influential Title 24 and Title 20 lighting regulations in CA, in addition to numerous other issues regarding the lighting standards. Flamm’s tireless leadership and hard work helped make these lighting regulations widely acknowledged and at the national forefront, and have significantly increased market demand for energy efficient lighting.

For twelve years, Flamm has been the lighting technical lead for the Building Energy Efficiency Standards, and the Appliance Efficiency Regulations.

Flamm has recently announced his intention to retire from the California Energy Commission in February 1, 2014. But, before he departs, we would like to thank and recognize Gary Flamm for his exceptional commitment to promoting energy efficiency in codes and high performance lighting standards.

Energy Code Champion Summer 2012: Felix Lopez

In honor of his many years of service to the energy code arena, the Texas State Energy Office, and given his recent retirement from that service, BCAP has selected Felix Lopez as Energy Code Champion for summer 2012.

Felix’s dedication to energy-efficiency through his years of service to the state of Texas has resulted in innumerable energy savings for the state. His work has saved home owners and businesses money, reduced Texas’s demand for imported energy, and has improved the environment. His recent retirement from the State Energy Conservation Office leaves a legacy of stewardship and commitment to reducing energy use that will carry on for many years.

Felix is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) licensed in Texas and has worked as the Senior Engineer of SECO for 14 years. He has provided technical support for various energy conservation programs like the LoanSTAR Loan program, the Renewable Energy program, the School and Local Government program, and the Housing Trust Fund program of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, along with his long service as the champion of energy code adoption. He was the Program Administrator for the State Agencies program which includes the Codes and Standards and the Texas Design Standard for state-funded buildings. He has 21 years of experience working with energy conservation, including 7 years with the Bonneville Power Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy, and the last 14 years with SECO.

Felix’s hard work in leading education and outreach workshops on residential and commercial energy codes that SECO is providing statewide. Since then, Felix has lead the development of 2 energy code cycles for SECO, and several major projects to assure that his beloved state had the best of outreach and training to support those up-to-date codes.

We salute Felix in his many years of service, but especially for his many years of staunch support for energy codes and as a great old friend of BCAP!

Energy Code Champion Spring 2012: Hamilton Davis

BCAP is proud to announce Hamilton Davis of the Coastal Conservation League as this quarter’s BCAP Energy Code Champion. Hamilton’s tireless leadership in South Carolina drove the passage of the 2009 IECC this legislative session.

As a member of the Public Utility Review Commission’s Energy Advisory Council, Hamilton was able to identify and make energy codes a priority of the advisory group. The group, consisting of organizations like BCAP, SEEA, Mathis Group and Southface, worked to present the case for the adoption of the 2009 IECC. Hamilton worked between the South Carolina Energy Office, the SC Home Builders Association and the previously mentioned organizations to bring everyone to the table to ensure a fair and balanced discussion on the adoption of energy codes. After a year of work on the issue, Governor Nikki signed House Bill 4639 on April 2, 2012. This sets the 2009 IECC as the statewide energy code with an effective date of January 1, 2013.

Updating our building energy codes is helping to pave the way for a more energy efficient future in South Carolina.  This success is a testament to the value of collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from BCAP to our state’s electric cooperatives.” – Hamilton Davis

Hamilton Davis is a native of South Carolina with a BS from Clemson University and a JD from the USC School of Law. He has been working for the SC Coastal Conservation League (CCL) since 2006 and currently serves as their Energy and Climate Director. The League’s mission: “is to protect the natural environment of the South Carolina coastal plain and to enhance the quality of life in our communities by working with individuals, businesses, and government to ensure balanced solutions.”

Hamilton is currently serving on the Energy Advisory Council for the SC Public Utility Review Committee, the SC Offshore Wind Regulatory Task Force, the SC Energy Office Advisory Council, and is a board member of the SC Solar Business Alliance.

Energy Code Champion Winter 2012: Maire Claire Voorhees

BCAP is proud to announce Maire Claire Voorhees as this quarter’s BCAP Energy Code Champion. Maire Claire has worked very hard over the last year on New Mexico’s compliance with national model energy codes.

Maire Claire joined served as New Mexico’s Regulation and Licensing Department’s Green Building Coordinator under the Office of the Superintendent in 2011. She has recently become the Administrative Manager for Construction Industries Division in early January 2012.

As the Green Building Coordinator, Maire was instrumental in supporting the state’s energy code adoption and implementation activities. With considerable effort, Maire Claire organized an unparalleled seventeen statewide NMECC training program and created code books that included the state enhancements. Not only did the events reach an increased amount of building and code professionals from previous years, but all of it was completed in a very cost-effective manner. Maire also developed a New Mexico climate zone specific checklist for NMECC compliance, plan review and inspection. Additionally, she won funding to develop and print integrated code books that included both the IECC and the New Mexico amendments along with developing and building the web interface for compliance verification.

Maire has served as a valuable state partner in BCAP’s Compliance Planning Assistance Project, effectively coordinating with cities and construction professionals, as well as state government colleagues through several agencies to see the program from its inception to completion.

Before working in the Office of the Superintendent, Maire Claire served as a Policy Analyst for the New Mexico Legislation for three legislative sessions and two legislative sessions as a Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advocate for the New Mexico Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy while earning her Master of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Community Development at Prescott College. Above all, Maire Claire’s seemingly limitless energy and passion are invaluable assets to the energy code community and BCAP would like to recognize all of her accomplishments and contributions.

Energy Code Champion Fall 2011: Harry Misuriello

Harry Misuriello has invigorated the energy efficiency world for many years and personifies the role of Energy Code Champion.

Harry has been in the energy efficiency business for more than 35 years as a consulting firm executive and as an energy efficiency advocate. He can often be found running campaigns behind the scenes and lining up advocates and support materials. And of course, at a moment’s notice, Harry will step up to a microphone and deliver on-target pro-efficiency and pro-America comments. The improvements in energy codes today are in large part due to Harry’s persistence at national and state levels.

Harry is currently a Visiting Fellow at ACEEE, where he has served since 2008. At ACEEE, he consults with and advises ACEEE on strategies to increase the level of energy efficient new residential and commercial construction nationally and regionally through development, adoption, and enforcement of building energy codes.

Prior to consulting with ACEEE, Harry was Manager of Energy Efficiency Strategies at Owens Corning. He also served as Director of Buildings and Utility Programs and Director of National Programs at the Alliance to Save Energy. He led the Alliance’s efforts in the areas of building energy codes, appliance and equipment standards, efficient windows, and utility demand-side management programs. Harry has also served as chairman of the Responsible Energy Codes Alliance (RECA).

He serves as a voting member of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Committee, and has served on the ASHRAE technical committees that produced the Advanced Energy Design Guides for small office and small retail buildings. He was also instrumental in development of ASHRAE’s building energy labeling program. His international consulting experience includes engagements in the Peoples’ Republic of China, Hungary, and Poland, and assisting USAID to establish energy conservation.

Energy Code Champion Summer 2010: Ken Baker

Idaho has long been a model energy code adoption state, keeping a standard three-year code update cycle. As one of BCAP’s Ten Places to Watch in 2010 and a pilot state in the Energy Code Ambassadors Program (a partnership between BCAP and the International Code Council), the state is also poised to implement the 2009 IECC in January 2011. In recognition of his ongoing work supporting energy codes in Idaho and other states in the Interior West, BCAP is proud to announce Ken Baker of K energy as its Summer 2010 Energy Code Champion!

Ken has been working in building energy efficiency since 1978. He earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Idaho in 1982 with a focus on energy- and resource-efficient construction techniques and the use of local-based materials to create vernacular and sustainable buildings. He is an experienced educator, facilitator, mediator, and writer.

Throughout 2006, Ken served on Idaho’s legislative sub-committee on energy and conservation in development of a new state energy plan and has been actively promoting legislation that will enact the plan. In April 2008, he was appointed by Idaho Governor Butch Otter to chair the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance Conservation and Energy Efficiency Task Force.

Ken works with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in their BetterBricks program as an educator and training coordinator for the commercial building energy efficiency sector. He works with the BetterBricks Office Real Estate program, providing building energy efficiency planning expertise to Idaho property management companies. He is working with the Idaho Office of Energy Resources to implement the Recovery Act-funded Idaho K-12 Energy Efficiency Project. Currently, Ken is also providing IECC training in the states of Idaho, Utah, and Nevada.

As of January 1, 2011, all Idaho jurisdictions will be required to comply with the 2009 IECC. Through support from NEEA, Idaho has been able to develop and grow the Idaho Energy Code Collaborative, a ten-year effort work with industry and government stakeholders to champion energy code implementation. Ken is excited for the opportunity to lead the Collaborative along with the Association of Idaho Cities and many other diligent stakeholders.

Read more about Ken’s work at the K energy website.

Ken is the co-author with Jana Kemp of the Greenwood Publishing Co. book Building Community in Buildings: The Design and Culture of Dynamic Workplaces.

Energy Code Champion Winter 2010: Laura Richardson

With an increased focus on building energy efficiency in the last year, unprecedented federal funding opportunities have placed state code infrastructures in uncharted waters as they deal with adopting, implementing, and enforcing the latest national model energy codes. The state of New Hampshire has taken the initiative to become a national leader in developing a roadmap for energy code training and compliance. For her work toward these goals, BCAP is proud to recognize Laura Richardson of the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning as its Winter 2010 Energy Code Champion!

Laura Richardson coordinates ten of New Hampshire’s 16 State Energy Programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). The Building Code Compliance Program addresses the assurances states made to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to reach 90% verifiable compliance of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by 2017. This program will:

• establish a baseline of energy-code compliance;
• create a roadmap to achieve 90% verifiable compliance;
• train code officials and develop a public awareness campaign throughout
  the state targeted to code officials as well as building and design
  professionals, building owners and the general public, realtors,
  bankers, appraisers, and others;
• gather all relevant building code resources into one publicly accessible site; and
• develop recommended compliance policy options and establish a review process to monitor and track energy code compliance.

Since 2000, Laura has lived off-grid in a super-insulated, photovoltaic-powered home that uses just 13% of the electricity of an average U.S. home. In 2003, she and her husband Gil founded the New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Association, building that into a statewide non-profit focused on renewable energy and energy efficiencies. Together in 2007-08, they deep-retrofitted a 108-year-old house as a green-flip; it achieved a HERS rating of 54. As Project Director for StayWarmNH, an initiative to bridge the challenges faced by low-income residents because of energy cost spikes in 2008, she oversaw the training and coordination of hundreds of volunteers who winterized almost 500 homes in one season. The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning brought her on staff in 2009 to work on Recovery Act programming.

Energy Code Champion Fall 2009: Don Mallette and the Lewis County Department of Building and Fire Codes

Code official Don Mallette and his associates with the Lewis County Department of Building and Fire Codes in New York recently went far beyond the call of duty to help a homeowner assure the insulation job was done correctly in their new home. For this effort, BCAP is proud to recognize Don and the Department as its Fall 2009 Energy Code Champions!

This winter, a local homeowner complained to Don and the Department that his new home was cold and uncomfortable, and that they were experiencing very high energy bills, despite what was touted to be a superior insulation material installed to comply with New York’s state energy code. Don and his associates undertook the matter personally, investigating by guiding the homeowners in opening a few wall cavities as well as enlisting the aid of a local building performance diagnostician and his infrared camera. Don discovered that the insulation was installed poorly, leaving many gaps and voids that were causing the comfort and energy loss issues. As a result, the contractor returned and redid almost 90 percent of the wall areas more carefully, to the Department’s satisfaction.

This homeowner will no doubt experience a much more comfortable and cost-effective life this winter in chilly Lewis County, New York!

After spending 15 years as a residential builder and 15 years in commercial and heavy construction, Don has worked for the last three and a half years as a code enforcement official. He holds an A.A.S. degree in forest technology from Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York.

Energy Code Champion Spring 2009: Jeff Herholdt

The Building Codes Assistance Project announces Jeff Herholdt with the West Virginia Division of Energy as our May 2009 selection for energy code champion! John F. “Jeff” Herholdt Jr. is the director of the West Virginia Division of Energy, which became a stand-alone agency under the West Virginia Department of Commerce in the summer of 2007. The division was created to implement programs in the fossil, renewable and energy efficiency arenas.

Jeff’s work in energy efficiency spans over three decades. Before the establishment of the Division of Energy, he managed the Energy Efficiency Program under the state’s economic development agency. The program concentrated very heavily on saving energy in the industrial sector. Jeff was instrumental in the establishment of the Industries of the Future-West Virginia program, which continues to help West Virginia industries save energy and streamline processes.

Jeff has been personally and professionally interested in energy efficiency his whole life, installing compact fluorescent lamps in his rural West Virginia home, extra insulation, ENERGY STAR windows and a metal roof. “Caulk is cheap,” he tells audiences as he promotes the power of the individual in saving energy at home.

As director, Jeff oversees the Energy Efficiency Program and the Office of Coalfield Community Development. His expertise has helped shape policy in West Virginia relating to the advancement of resource diversification as well as building energy codes. Additionally, he serves as Chairman of the West Virginia Public Energy Authority and is the Governor’s Alternate to the Southern States Energy Board. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership and serves as a Board Member and Treasurer for the National Association of State Energy Officials. Additionally, he is a member of the Appalachian Regional Commission Energy Advisory Committee and serves as co-director of Industries of the Future-West Virginia.

He received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from West Virginia’s Davis and Elkins College and a master of arts degree in economic from West Virginia University.

Energy Code Champion Winter 2009: Alex Tapia

The Building Code Assistance Project announces Alex Tapia, with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), as our latest selection for Energy Code Champion.

Alex Tapia is the Program Manager for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) with responsibilities of developing, creating, and managing programs within the Southeast focused on energy efficiency within all sectors. Currently, he is developing a regional industrial energy efficiency coalition along with Oak Ridge National Labs and the Department of Energy, working with policy makers in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee on model efficiency legislation and working with media to promote SEEA activities.

For fifteen years, Alex has been working to protect our natural environment, concentrating on energy and environmental policy and corporate social responsibility. He began his career by traveling to Alaska to learn the truth about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which became the subject of a documentary film, Arctic Quest: Our Search for Truth, which aired nationally on PBS stations. In Alaska, Alex learned about the proposed oil development of the Arctic Refuge from oil industry representatives, the people of Alaska, and the Gwich’in natives who depend on the Porcupine Caribou herd for their way of life.

Previously, Alex was the Assistant Project Director for Kilowatt Ours, focusing on communications, utility demand side management programs and policy, as well as serving as script advisor for the documentary film Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America. Alex is also an Eagle Scout.

Energy Code Champion Fall 2008: Mark Halverson

BCAP is proud to recognize Mark Halverson for 15 years of valuable contributions to energy code development and implementation. Mark has been working on energy codes for DOE since 1993, shortly after the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which focused attention on energy codes in general and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1989 in particular. He has been involved in one way or another in most major changes to the national model commercial building energy codes since then, including the development of ASHRAE Standards 90.1-1999 through 2007 and the 1998 through 2009 versions of the IECC, as well several version of federal commercial building energy standards.

Mark is currently the manager of commercial code development activities with DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). He is responsible for all aspects of BECP technical analysis and support as it relates to commercial buildings. In his role at BECP, Mark plays a key role in commercial buildings on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1, by providing support to ASHRAE as they attempt to achieve 30% savings in American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASHRAE/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1-2010 (relative to Standard 90.1-2004). BECP is also responsible for the analyses leading to DOE’s legislatively-mandated determinations of energy savings for ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and for analyses related to DOE code change proposals to the International Code Council’s (ICC) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

Prior to working on BECP, Mark managed the data collection and verification efforts of the End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP), a large building end-use monitoring program in the Pacific Northwest funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.

Energy Code Champion Summer 2008: Eric Makela

BCAP recognizes Eric Makela for over 20 years of valuable contributions to energy code development and implementation. Eric has a national reputation for his expertise and collaborative work on residential and commercial building energy codes and is often consulted by industry on issues dealing with new construction practices. As a founding partner of the Britt/Makela Group, Eric uses his expertise to work with clients to develop a new understanding of sustainable design, above-code programs, local building practices, and code compliance issues.

Eric participated in the development of the NAHB’s National Green Building Standard, where he collaborated on an insulation installation guideline. He also collaborated with the Nevada ENERGY STAR Partners on the roll out training for EPA’s Thermal Bypass Checklist requirements in Southern Nevada. As part of the national codes work, he provides energy codes technical assistance in Idaho, Nevada and Utah in addition to the building materials industry. He has co-managed residential and commercial energy code baseline studies in Nevada, Iowa and Indiana and currently collaborates with national evaluation firms that assess the impact of energy efficiency programs on residential and commercial new construction. Eric serves on the ICC IECC Code Development Committee and has been a member since 2003.

Before joining Britt/Makela Group, Eric provided energy code support services as the Senior Educational Programs Administrator for the International Conference of Building Officials, and was the ICBO liaison to the ICC IECC Code Development Committee. He also served as Training Coordinator for the Building Standards and Guidelines Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he was responsible for training efforts for the implementation of national energy codes.

BCAP is pleased to recognize Eric Makela for his exceptional commitment to promoting energy efficiency in codes and high performance building programs.

Energy Code Champion Spring 2008: Karen Clifton

Over many years, Karen Clifton has worked extremely hard to promote energy codes and energy efficient construction practices in the state of Alabama and nationally as one of BCAP’s newest steering committee members – making her BCAP’s choice for Energy Code Champion!

For five years, Karen Clifton has served as the Building Codes Program Manager for the Energy, Weatherization and Technology Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA-EWT). Working with code officials, builders, architects, and engineers throughout the state, she has actively promoted the adoption and enforcement of energy codes and energy efficient building practices. Taking advantage of numerous funding opportunities has enabled her to bring a variety of codes training workshops to the state; particularly Alabama’s hurricane damaged Gulf Coast. She has served on legislative energy committees and played an instrumental role in the drafting of legislation to establish statewide mandatory energy codes, high performance state buildings and to implement life-cycle costing for state purchasing. Ms. Clifton manages the administrative functions of the Alabama Residential Energy Code Board and represents ADECA-EWT on the Building Codes Assistance Project Steering Committee.

Ms. Clifton was born and raised in Prattville, Alabama. She is a graduate of the University of Montevallo. She has lived in Montgomery for over 25 years.

Karen Clifton is exemplary in her efforts and accomplishments to further energy efficiency and energy code policies, and because of her success and great effort, BCAP is overjoyed to name her as our second Energy Code Champion!

Energy Code Champion Summer 2007: Rudy Underwood

Rudy Underwood has been working extremely hard to lobby for exciting new energy efficiency legislation in many southern states – making him BCAP’s choice for Energy Code Champion! As State Government and Grassroots Director, Southern Region, for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Government Affairs Staff Representative for ACC’s Plastics Division Building and Construction Committee, Rudy has taken responsibility for finding opportunities to promote energy efficiency policies. He has helped introduce measures promoting tax incentives for energy-efficient homes in Georgia that will be considered by the legislature in 2008. He also advocated for the successful Illinois bill that updated the state’s commercial energy code. A similar bill in Louisiana, passed with Rudy’s support, contains an added clause requiring the codes to update whenever a new version becomes available.

Not surprisingly, Rudy and the ACC are ever conscious of their industry’s use of energy, as natural gas is used in large quantities in chemical manufacturing. As Rudy himself put it, “natural gas is for the chemistry industry like flour is to a baker.” To help mitigate the effects of this usage, he has led efforts to increase the supply of affordable energy and shift the focus of green building policies towards energy efficiency. Rudy explains, “Rather than accepting green building policies based on private nonprofit, eco-label rating programs, we are advocating [for states to] adopt policies that use the energy code as a basis for energy efficiency standards.” The ACC recommends new state buildings exceed the state energy code by at least 30 percent – a significant improvement! A bill modeled after this provision was signed by Virginia’s governor and it is expected that Louisiana’s governor will do the same for legislation introduced in this state. ACC anticipates using this model in 2008 in GA, NC, and MS.

Rudy Underwood is exemplary in his efforts and accomplishments to further energy efficiency and energy code policies, and because of his success and great effort, BCAP is overjoyed to name him our first Energy Code Champion!