«*v* Building Codes for Energy Efficiency This fact sheet highlights the benefits of building energy codes and describes several steps that parties working under the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency can take to advance cost-effective energy efficiency through the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of codes. About Building Energy Codes Overview Parties working to create a sustainable, aggressive national commitment to energy efficiency under the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency are exploring the opportunities for increased energy efficiency through new or improved building energy codes. Energy codes require new and existing build- ings undergoing major renovations to meet a set of minimum requirements for energy efficiency. For parties pursuing energy efficiency as a cost-effective resource, codes can be a critical piece of a comprehensive approach. Energy consumption in buildings accounts for one-third of all the energy used in the United States and two-thirds of the total electricity demand. To address this demand, building codes have been used for nearly three decades and are a cost-effective strategy to overcome barriers to energy efficiency in buildings. In combination with appliance standards, energy codes that are well-designed, implemented, and enforced can lock in cost-effective energy savings of 30 to 40 percent at the time of building construction compared to standard prac- tices.1 In addition to lowering energy bills, energy codes can reduce load growth and the need for new energy generation capacity while limiting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Recognizing these benefits, a major- ity of states have adopted building energy codes in some form for residential and commercial construction (DOE, 2006). Benefits of Building Energy Codes Building energy codes provide states and municipalities across the country a range of energy, environmental, and economic benefits. Highlights from several jurisdictions are summarized below and in Table 1. Energy Energy benefits of building codes include saving on energy bills, reducing peak energy demand, and improving system reliability. For example, California's building standards have helped save businesses and residents more than $15.8 billion in electricity and natural gas costs since 1975, and these savings are Energy codes typically specify requirements for "thermal resist- ance" in the building shell and windows, minimum air leakage, and minimum efficiency for heat- ing and cooling equipment. These measures can help elimi- nate inefficient construction practices and technologies with only modest increases in up-front project costs. New construction and major renovation represent cost-effec- tive times to incorporate energy-efficiency measures into buildings because these improve- ments save energy throughout the life of those buildings and can be expensive to adopt later. Building energy codes are typi- cally developed at the national level, adopted at the state level, and implemented and enforced by local governments. National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency www.epa.gov/eeactioriplari ------- |