Home
Policy

Building Energy Codes

Building energy codes contain minimum energy efficiency provisions for residential and commercial buildings. Energy codes are recognized as a simple and cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption and lower energy bills.  Energy codes are important because it is much cheaper and easier to save energy before the building is constructed. Buildings consume 40% of the world's raw materials and energy and today's buildings may be around for 75 years.  Therefore, if energy efficiency components are not incorporated in new construction, we lose savings opportunities over the lifetime of the building.

Annual Codes Conference

The Midwest Regional Building Energy Codes Conference brings together stakeholders from across the Midwest to discuss how best to promote the adoption and raise compliance with building energy codes across the region. The conference provides an opportunity for stakeholders from various disciplines to meet, network and discuss the various approaches and strategies needed for improved energy codes adoption and compliance.

Information and Documents ►

Promoting Building Energy Codes in the Midwest

MEEA's Building Energy Codes Program works to promote the adoption and implementation of energy efficient building energy codes throughout the Midwest.

  • MEEA partners with state and local energy code officials, building professionals, utilities, and other code experts to increase accessibility to the latest code-related information and technologies, keep all stakeholders up to date on the latest activities across the Midwest, and coordinate code related activity across local and state jurisdictions as well as at the regional and federal level.
  • MEEA provides factual technical and policy information and analysis on the potential energy savings of energy codes; consumer benefits, including cost savings; the cost of proposed revisions and cost effectiveness; the market availability of new technologies and techniques; and, the issues around measuring compliance with building energy codes. 
  • MEEA also works to improve and increase access to training on the energy codes through partnerships with the International Code Council and other institutions and organizations, through web-based seminars,  and through the development of innovative policies such as the use of specialized code inspectors. 

Detailed Building Energy Code Policy Information

Learn more about the building energy codes in MEEA's states by clicking on the map.

Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Michigan · Minnesota
Missouri · Nebraska · North Dakota · Ohio · South Dakota · Wisconsin


Commercial Code Status

Midwest Residential Energy Code Map

 


Residential Code Status

Midwest Residential Energy Code Map

 


Additional Codes Resources

Because energy codes are a nationally-important issue, a number of national organzations track building energy code information across the country. Additional building energy code resources are available at:

The U.S. Department of Energy, Building Energy Codes Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), supports energy efficiency in buildings through the development and implementation of model codes and standards. DOE also provides technical assistance to states and localities as they adopt and enforce energy codes.

Homepage • State-specific information

The Online Code Environmental and Advocacy Network (OCEAN)

OCEAN is a project of the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP).  It is an interactive resource designed to share experiences, best practices, educational resources, and news about building energy codes. By creating a virtual community, OCEAN enables stakeholders to discuss and learn about code issues, connect to trainers and educators, and find policies and program ideas that can serve as models.

Homepage • State-specific information