Page 19 - Green Builder November Issue Codes Update

ENERGY CODES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY life-cycle cost savings if their home is built to the 2009 code, and
more complex as alternative compliance paths $5,500 if built to the 2012 code.
are developed, higher-performance products are
introduced into the market, and advanced testing The message is clear: reduction in energy use translates into a
and data collection practices are implemented. How positive cash flow.
do building professionals navigate the evolving code
As Meyers points out, the market is not static, and codes will
continue to evolve to appropriately account for advancements in

landscape, and how do homeowners even know what products, technologies, materials and building science. Some of

questions to ask to ensure that their homes are efficient, resilient, this knowledge is adopted from local, regional, and national green

safe and healthy? building programs that have years of proof points as new approaches

There is a growing awareness about the importance of codes— are tried, tested and transformed into best practices.

particularly energy codes—as climate change shifts from a theory

to a harsh reality. Codes have the ability not only to substantially CODES AND COMPLIANCE PATHS

decrease the amount of natural resources that our buildings consume, Today, some of the biggest changes in codes have to do with

but also to enhance the resiliency, efficiency, durability, and safety compliance paths, or ways that builders can meet or even exceed

of said structures. code. There used to be two main compliance paths (Prescriptive

Green Builder Media is dedicated to helping building professionals and Performance). Now, in many jurisdictions, there are four. These

and homeowners stay abreast of changing codes. To that end, we four compliance paths, ranging from most to least restrictive, are:

recently launched CodeWatcher, a new website (www.codewatcher.us) ¦¦ Prescriptive, which requires strict adherence to specific

and publication that brings together some of the industry’s brightest performance numbers.

minds and most astute code experts to explain code developments. ¦¦ U Factor Alternative, which permits the U-Factor of high

We’re also hosting a series of webinars to help builders and performance wall assemblies to be considered as an alternative

homeowners understand the nuances of codes. Our first webinar to R-Values.

in the series featured code expert Jim Meyers from the Southwest ¦¦ Performance, in which an energy rater inputs information into

Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), an organization dedicated to sophisticated software, allowing for some tradeoffs, although

advancing energy efficiency. not in mechanical systems or appliances.

¦¦ Energy Rating Index, or ERI, which provides the most flexibility

SLOW TO CHANGE, THEN GAME CHANGING in terms of available tradeoffs, including mechanical systems

Meyers began the webinar by explaining that the energy code was and appliances, and is similar to the HERS index, in which a

created in the 1970s in the face of the oil embargo, which brought lower score indicates greater energy efficiency.

a discussion about energy efficiency and Keeping You On Top of the Latest Codes, Rules & Regs Meyers suggests that, regardless of your

conservation to the international stage. In preferred compliance path, there are eight

response, Congress developed the ASHRAE CODE WATCHER must-know requirements in the energy code:
(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating FALL 2016 /www.codewatcher.us n Air barriers and insulation
and Air-Conditioning Engineers) national Exclusive 2018 n Ceilings
standard for commercial buildings, which IECC Public Comment n Duct leakage
spawned modern day commercial and Hearing Report n Envelope air leakage
residential energy codes. Hot Debates: The Top 3 n Foundations
Code Change Proposals

Between the 1970s and 2006, there were only n Walls

small, incremental changes in energy efficiency n Windows

in buildings. Thereafter, the game changed— n Lighting

there was a marked 15 percent improvement As our knowledge of the built environment

in energy savings from 2006 to 2009 due to The New ERI Path: evolves, so too will the energy code. Building
a ratcheted energy code, and then another Is Privatizing Code industry professionals are working on
15 percent improvement from 2009 to 2012. Enforcement a Good Idea? developing the 2018 code, which will surely
After that, it seems we took a step backwards, An Inside Look at incorporate improved insights into building
achieving only a 1 percent improvement from Solar Versus the science, installation practices, and high-
Thermal Envelope
Prescriptive Options
for Ceiling Insulation
CdpACCESS: The Good,
the Bad, and the Uncertain

the 2012 code to 2015 version. performance products.

Meyers speculates that the plateau is a result of the desire from In the future, Meyers predicts that building codes will advance

building professionals—builders and code officials—to “catch incrementally. He forecasts that in the next few code cycles, we likely

up” to current codes, with the goal of driving increased adoption, won’t see the large 15 percent energy savings increases that we saw

compliance and enforcement of codes from the last two cycles. in 2009 and 2012. However, the verdict is still out, as states like

Fortunately, cost effectiveness studies, which measure upfront California and New York set aggressive targets to reach net zero in

costs against long-term savings from energy efficiency, clearly show the not-too-distant future. GB

that energy-efficient homes yield fast and meaningful returns. For

example, a homeowner in Nevada will reap, on average, $1,500 in First published in www.codewatcher.us.

www.greenbuildermedia.com November/December 2016 GREEN BUILDER 17