Energy Codes
Insights from ACEEE’s Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
When most people think about nature, the first place their minds wander is not often ‘buildings.’ As made clear throughout ACEEE’s Summer Study conference, this is different for people working in the building energy efficiency space.
For these buildings professionals, balancing nature and the built environment is a constant challenge. They must weigh power and fuel generation mix while prioritizing energy efficiency, consider multi-dimensional feedback in design and responsibly manage the planet's limited natural resources amidst climate change and the increasing global demand for covered spaces.
Minnesota's New Residential Energy Code Update Process: A Major Step Toward Energy Efficiency
During its 2024 session, the Minnesota legislature made a significant stride in enhancing energy efficiency standards for newly constructed residential buildings (three stories or less). Specifically, the final version of the House Labor omnibus bill (HF 5242A) directs the state to adopt a new residential energy code every three years (the same update schedule of the model International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)), beginning in 2026. The updated codes must move incrementally towards a goal of reducing annual net energy consumption 70% or greater by 2038.
Code Updates for Federally Funded Homes Aim to Help with Energy Burden
On April 25th, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced they had completed the review and approval process of an updated energy efficiency code for federally funded housing projects. These projects, an estimated annual 165,000 homes developed with funds from HUD or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will now be required to follow the provisions from the 2021 IECC for residential or ASHRAE 90.1-2019 for commercial buildings.
Will the Midwest be the Next Region to Adopt Off-site Construction Standards?
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.
Workshopping the Buzz Around Energy Codes
The MEEA Building Codes & Policy team hosted the workshop, "To Infinity and Beyond: Workshopping the Buzz about Energy Codes” at the 2024 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference. In the planning of this workshop, it was important that the expanding list of benefits that come with advancing energy codes – occupant health, grid impacts, carbon reduction and utility bill savings, to name a few, were a focus of the conversation. It was also important to discuss the challenges faced by states and jurisdictions when adopting energy codes. This includes accessing technical assistance resources, gaining utility program support, engaging with rural as well as urban communities and tracking compliance and enforcement.
Life-Saving Energy Codes: What Building Safety Officials Need to Know
This material was originally published on the Sustainable Energy Action Committee website and is republished here with permission.
HUD and USDA Solicit Comments on More Efficient Energy Codes
Comments are due July 17, 2023 on a preliminary determination by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1–2019 as minimum energy efficiency requirements. Docket FR–6271–N–01 is the first step to increasing the minimum energy efficiency requirements for HUD- and USDA-funded housing.
New Construction in Oak Park Will Now Be All-Electric
On June 20, 2023, the Village Board of Oak Park, Illinois voted in favor of an all-electric new construction ordinance as part of their building code. This makes Oak Park the first municipality in Illinois - and the Midwest - to pass an electrification ordinance. Electrification was one of the steps identified as necessary to achieve community-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as set forth by the Village in Climate Ready Oak Park. This follows the adoption of a benchmarking ordinance approved in February 2023.
The City of Indianapolis’ Progress Towards Energy Efficiency and Green Building
This blog post is part of a series on Midwest communities using energy efficiency to progress their climate goals. Cities covered previously in the series included Cleveland and Minneapolis.