Building Codes Assistance Project

Updating building energy codes to the most recent IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 standards -- and requiring that any future updates be adopted within one year of these standards' publication -- ensures that new construction uses less energy, contributes fewer pollutants to our environment, and improves comfort and productivity.

Requiring Statewide Energy Code

Automatic Code Adoption/Revision Cycle

Increase Code Uniformity Across State

Local Government Building Standards

State Government Buildings

Selecting the most current national model energy code ensures that code reflects changes in technology and design that offer increased energy efficiency.

States with no energy code in place should initiate a code adoption process to ensure the most current national model energy code is adopted.

• Alabama House Bill 242 (PDF - 17 KB) is an example of legislation introduced in a state with no existing mandatory statewide commercial code.

States that have energy codes in place should consider updating to the most current national model energy code.

• Louisiana House Bill 743 (PDF - 16 KB) is an example of updating the code.
• North Carolina House Bill 586-2007 (PDF - 42 KB) is an example of adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) with a specific reference to the IECC.

Most states and municipalities periodically update their building energy codes, some more regularly than others. This process ensures that their code reflects changes in technology and design that offer increased energy efficiency. Adoption and revision of building energy codes can correspond with the publication of a new edition of a national energy standard or model energy code. This may occur if state regulation or legislation language refers to "the most recent edition."

A state can also tie adoption or revision to the publication date of an energy standard or model energy code to ensure automatic updates by incorporating the following language. "This regulation shall take effect one month from publication of the adopted model energy code."

• Massachusetts House Bill 3221 (PDF - 93 KB) is an example of automatic code revision cycle.
• Louisiana House Bill 743 (PDF - 42 KB) is an example of automatic code revision cycle. 

City and county jurisdictions have adopted a variety of energy codes for both residential and commercial buildings. While in home rule states, a state-wide energy code may be unlikely; increasing the uniformity of building energy codes across jurisdictions makes it easier and more cost-effective for builders and contractors to construct residential and commercial buildings.

• Colorado House Bill 07-1146 (PDF - 34 KB) requires every county or municipality that has adopted a building code by a certain date (in this case: July 1, 2008) to meet or exceed the standards of the 2003 IECC for all residential and commerical buildings.  The bill also directs the state energy office to provide technical assistance and authorizes grant awards to the local jurisdictions for code implementation and enforcement.

While most states are empowered to adopt energy codes statewide, "home rule" states have limited ability to impose building requirements on municipalities. In these cases, local governments can adopt their own codes. On a local level, "greening of government" initiatives continue to demonstrate how legislative and local government actions can substantially raise the energy code standard in publicly funded buildings.

• Pima County in Arizona (PDF - 29 KB) is taking this approach (and thereby impacting a large portion of the state's overall building stock).
• The Phoenix, Arizona City Council adopted a new "Phoenix Building Construction Code," which includes the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and its 2004 Supplement. The new code also provides minimum health and safety standards for the construction of buildings in Phoenix.

In the absence of statewide energy codes, a few states have mandated application of an energy code for their government buildings. These facilities often are highly visible and symbolic, and they present a good opportunity to achieve cost-effective energy savings. Since a 20%-30% return on energy efficiency investments in state buildings is common, a number of states have developed policies that either require or encourage energy improvements in government buildings. This strategy not only improves a significant portion of the local building stock in many areas, but showcases the application and results of what can be achieved throughout the remainder of the market.

• Alabama Senate Bill 309 (PDF - 18 KB), requires the Building Commission to adopt the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a minimum requirement for the design of all new commercial buildings and the renovation and addition to all commercial buildings in the state.
  Illinois Senate Bill 2868 (PDF - 15 KB), implements the most recent edition of the IECC as a statewide energy code for the construction or repair of State facilities.