Building Codes Assistance Project

The Codes and Standards Committee of the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development met on Monday, June 22 to review the 2009 I-Codes and code changes to make decisions on proposed building regulations. The Committee unanimously approved proposals that included updating the energy code to reference the 2009 IECC. The next meeting of the full Board is scheduled for Monday, July 27 (see below) for the consideration of proposed regulations for the Uniform Statewide Building Code. A 60-day comment period on the 2009 IECC and IRC is expected later this year. View the Virginia DHCD Calendar of Events for more information about these meetings.

As required by law, the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) published a notice for public comment in the Texas Register on June 5 concerning the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC).  SECO will forward all comments received within 30 days (or by July 5) to the Texas A&M Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL), which will make a recommendation concerning the improvement of energy efficiency in single family residential construction under the 2009 IRC compared to the current code, the 2001 IRC. 

On June 26, the United States House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) by a 219-212 margin.  Among the issues under the purview of this comprehensive energy and climate policy bill, ACES would significantly change American building energy efficiency policy by mandating a new national building energy code and providing for federal enforcement in state and local jurisdictions that cannot or will not comply.

[Updated June 3, 2009]

On February 17, legislation (HB 3550) was introduced in the South Carolina State Legislature that would mandate the 2006 IECC for all new and renovated buildings effective July 1, 2009.  Local building officials would be required to enforce the new standards, and alternate enforcers would be provided in areas that do not have building code officials.

The effective date for California's building energy code -- the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Parts 1 and 6) -- has been changed from August 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted the 2008 Standards on April 23, 2008, and the Building Standards Commission approved them on September 11, 2008.  They are estimated to be more stringent than the 2009 IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.