Off-site construction can decrease project time by 50% (Page 3) due to industrialization of the building components and the ability to complete site work, such as laying the foundation, concurrently. These time-saving benefits are lost, however, when there is uncertainty about who or how these structures and processes are inspected and deployed. Since the process of how these structures get commissioned varies from state to state and even city to city, each new project may encounter its own set of hurdles. The 1200 Series StandardsThe uncertainty caused by this state and/or municipal patchwork of regulations led the International Code Council and Modular Building Institute (ICC/MBI) to introduce the 1200 Series Standards for Off-site…
Origins of the Iowa Utility Policy Charrettes During the 2023 legislative session, Republican Iowa State Representative Lundgren raised concerns regarding Iowa’s ratemaking procedures, which had not been reviewed since 2004 despite significant changes made by the state legislature to utilities’ processes and regulations. In response, HF 617 was passed and signed into law by Governor Reynolds, mandating the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) conduct an independent review. The IUB then organized three policy charrettes, or collaborative planning processes, where all interested parties contribute to the development of a master plan. These charrettes were aimed at ensuring the provision of safe, adequate, reliable, just, reasonable and affordable…
Contributors: Arlinda Bajrami, Miranda Andrade & Molly GrahamThe Department of Energy’s (DOE) Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) offers a unique opportunity for fostering innovation and collaboration in the realm of building upgrades. Buildings UP aims to retrofit existing buildings to be more energy-efficient and utilize clean-energy technologies. This may involve the installation of efficient electric equipment like heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, as well as other measures such as insulation and air sealing. As Regional Navigators for the 12 teams in the Midwest + Alaska region, MEEA is proud to play a pivotal role in this transformative initiative. Over the next several years, we will assist our region’s teams, and…
