Southeast Regional Energy Codes Needs Assesment

8/8/2019 Southeast Regional Energy Codes Needs Assesment

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SoutheastRegional Energy Codes Needs Assessment Page1

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL

ENERGYCODES NEEDS

ASSESSMENTA Projectofthe SoutheastEnergy

EfficiencyAlliance

Preparedfor:

The Pacific NorthwestNational Laboratorys

Building Energy Codes Program


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TheSoutheastEnergyEfficiencyAlliance (SEEA)promotesenergyefficiencyfora

cleanerenvironment,amoreprosperouseconomy,andahigherqualityof life in

the Southeastern region of the United States. Based in Atlanta, and working in

elevenstates,SEEAbringstogetherbusinesses,utilities,governments,publicutilitycommissions,energy

service companies, manufacturers, retailers, energy and environmental organizations, lowincome

energy advocates, large energy consumers, and universities to promote energyefficient policies and

practices.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acronyms...................................................................................................................................................... 5

ExecutiveSummary....................................................................................................................................... 6

Alabama...................................................................................................................................................... 12

CurrentEnergyCodeActivity.................................................................................................................. 14

AdoptionandEnforcement.................................................................................................................... 14

State Level........................................................................................................................................... 14

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 16

Arkansas...................................................................................................................................................... 18



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 20

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 21

Florida......................................................................................................................................................... 23



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 24

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 25

Georgia........................................................................................................................................................ 28



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 30

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 32

Kentucky...................................................................................................................................................... 35



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 37

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 38

Louisiana..................................................................................................................................................... 41




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State Level........................................................................................................................................... 43

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 44

Mississippi................................................................................................................................................... 47



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 49

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 49

NorthCarolina............................................................................................................................................. 52



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 54

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 55

SouthCarolina............................................................................................................................................. 58



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 60

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 61

Tennessee................................................................................................................................................... 63



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 65

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 66

Virginia........................................................................................................................................................ 68



State Level........................................................................................................................................... 69

LocalLevel........................................................................................................................................... 71

References.................................................................................................................................................. 73


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Acronyms


ACRONYMS

ADECAAlabamaDepartmentofEconomicandCommunityAffairs

AEOArkansasEnergyOffice

ASHRAEAmericanSocietyofHeating,RefrigeratingandAirConditioningEngineers

BCAPBuildingCodesAssistanceProject

BECPDOEBuildingEnergyCodesProgram

BTUBritishThermalUnit

CEUContinuingEducationUnit

CO2CarbonDioxide

CPAProgramCompliancePlanningAssistanceProgram

DOEUnitedStatesDepartmentofEnergy

FBLFloridaBuildingCommission

FSECFloridaSolarEnergyCenter

GECGeorgiaEnergyCode

GEFAGeorgiaEnvironmentalFinanceAuthority

HBAHomeBuildersAssociation

HBAAHomeBuildersAssociationofAlabama

HERSHomeEnergyRatingSystem

HVACHeating,Ventilating,andAirConditioning

IBCInternationalBuildingCode

ICCInternationalCodeCouncil

ICodesInternationalCodes

IECCInternationalEnergyConservationCode

IRCInternationalResidentialCode

KCAPCKentuckyClimateActionPlanCouncil

MMTMillionMetricTons

NAIMANorthAmericanInsulationManufacturersAssociation

NCBIANorthCarolinaBuildingInspectorsAssociation

RecoveryActAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActof2009

RValueMeasureofThermalResistance

SBCCNorthCarolinaStateBuildingCodeCouncil

SCACGeorgiaStateCodeAdvisoryCommittee

SEEASoutheastEnergyEfficiencyAlliance

SEP

State

Energy

Program

SHGCSolarHeatGainCoefficient

USBCVirginiaUniformStatewideBuildingCode

USGBCUnitedStatesGreenBuildingCouncil


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ExecutiveSummary


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TheSoutheastEnergyEfficiencyAlliance(SEEA)createdadocumentoutliningtheneedsofelevenstates

in SEEAs region in terms of energy code adoption, enforcement and compliance. This document

outlines the obstacles, accomplishments, current adoption activities and enforcement initiatives in

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Tennessee and Virginia. The reasons for adopting and enforcing the latest model energy codes are

explained in termsof theeconomicbenefits for residents, businesses,and the statesand regionas a

whole. Through the investigation of the needs of each state, SEEA found that there are common

benefits and obstacles to adopting and enforcing energy codes across the region. Common benefits

includethereductioninbothcostsandenergyuseforresidentsandbusinessesintheSoutheastaswell

as opportunities for increased energy selfsufficiency at the state level. The difficulties surrounding

energycodeenforcementstemmostlyfromalackofavailablefundingforsuchactivitiesastrainingand

education.Inaddition,moststatessharethedifficultiesofenforcingenergycodesinruralareas.

Bothspecificneedsofeachstateaswellasthebenefitsofadoptingandenforcingenergycodesinthe

Southeastregionareaddressedbelow.Therearemanycommonbenefitsandobstaclesthattheregion

faces.

CommonobstaclestoadoptingandenforcingenergycodesintheSoutheast:

Insufficientfunding

Lackofknowledgeofenergycodes

Ruralnatureoftheregion

Needfortrainingandeducation

Notengagingallstakeholderstogainsupportandinput

Scarceinvolvementofutilities

Unbalancedmakeupofstatesbuildingcodescouncils

Lackofmandatorytrainingrequirementsspecifictoenergycodesforbuildinginspectors

CommonbenefitsofadoptingandenforcingenergycodesintheSoutheast:

Reducedenergyuse

Lesseneddependenceonoutsidesourcesofenergy

Opportunityforeconomicdevelopment

Lowerutilitybillsforresidentsandbusinesses

Increasedcompetitivenessofbusinesses

Increasedqualityoflife

Energyindependence

Costeffectivemeansofmeetingthegoalsofclimateactionplansinplaceinsevenstates


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Introduction


INTRODUCTION

TheSoutheastisoftenconsideredtobetheregionoftheUnited

Statesthatlagsthefurthestbehindonenergycodeadoptionand

enforcement. But the Southeast is deserving of more credit on

this front than it is given. Two states have already adopted the

International Codes Councils (ICC) 2009 International Energy

ConservationCode(IECC)andtwoareontracktoadoptthe2009

IECC by the end of this year with major enforcement initiatives

underwayinallofthesefourstates.Inaddition,everystateinthe

Southeastregionhasanenergycodeinplacewiththeexception

of Mississippi and Alabama. Tennessee has a residential code but lacks a commercial energy code.

Despitehavingnomandatorycodeinplace,Alabamaisintheprocessofadoptingamandatoryenergy

codethatwillbebasedoneitherthe2006IECCorthe2009IECCwithmajorenforcementinitiativesin

placetoprepareforanimpendingenergycode.

ThepotentialsavingsintheSoutheastasaresultoftheadoptionandimplementationofenergycodesis

substantialinboththeresidentialandcommercialsectors.

Using real time construction data from manufacturers and builders, studies conducted by the U.S.

DepartmentofEnergy (DOE)and the BuildingCodesAssistanceProject (BCAP)show that theaverage

annual potential savings per home in the southeast is $228 while the average incremental cost of

buildingahometothe ICCs)2009 IECC is$718.Thesesavingsandcosts leadtoaveryshortaverage

paybackperiodofjustoverthreeyearswitharangeoftwotofiveyearsintheSoutheast.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

AverageAnnualPotentialSavingsPer

Home($)

*Floridaisnotincluded inthisanalysisbecauseofthestate'suniqueenergycode


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Introduction


ThepotentialsavingsforresidentsoftheSoutheast isanopportunitythatshouldnotbe ignored.The

abilitytoreducetheutilitybillsofhouseholdsand increasethedisposable incomeofconsumers isan

importantstrategyduringatimewhentheeconomyneedsaboost.Theaveragepercapita income in

the Southeast is well below the national average. Only Virginia has a per capita income above the

nationalaveragewiththemajorityofthestatesrankinginthebottom20percentoftheU.S.

Utility bills disproportionately affect low income households. According to the U.S. Department of

HealthandHumanServices,DivisionofEnergyAssistance,householdsintheU.S.spendanaverageof

sevenpercentoftheirincomeonutilitybills.Lowincomehouseholds,however,spend14to16percent

of their income on utility bills while spending nearly 14 percent less on energy than the average

household. High energy bills and this burden on lowincome households take money out of local

economiesandhaveadetrimentaleffectoneconomicdevelopment.

Theopportunitytolowerenergybillsthroughtheimplementationofanenergycodenotonlyexistsfor

householdsintheSoutheast,butforbusinessesaswell.AccordingtoastudydonebyDOE,businessesin

theSoutheastcansaveanaverageofsixpercentpersquarefootonenergyinnonresidentialbuildings,

fivepercent inresidentialhighrisebuildings,and0.5percentonsemiheatedbuildings ifstatesadopt

and enforce the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Airconditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

Standard90.12007.Notsurprisingly,thosestatesthatdonothaveacommercialenergycodeinplace

have the most to gain from adopting ASHRAE Standard 90.12007. Energy costs can be a burden on

businesses.Decreasingthisburdencanincreasethecompetitivenessofbusinessesparticularlyduringa

timewhenunnecessarycostsareparticularlydetrimental.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Non

residential

Residential

HighRise

Semiheated

AverageAnnualPotentialSavingsperft2 (%)

*Floridaisnotincluded inthisanalysisbecauseofthestate'suniqueenergycode


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Introduction


DespitetheprogresstheSoutheastshowsintermsofadoptingandenforcingcodes,thereisstillalotof

roomforimprovement.Thosestateswithnocodeorweakenforcementoftheenergycodearemissing

outonsubstantialsavingsthatwould lessenthestressonmultiplesectorsoftheeconomy.Funding is

clearly the biggest obstacle to enforcement in the Southeast region. More education and training is

neededinordertomakebuildersandconsumersawareoftherealitiesofenergycodesandthebenefits

toboththebuildingbusinessandhomes.Butwithoutfunding,thecreationofprogramsisnotpossible.

During a time where the economy is struggling and states budgets are tight, it is hard to justify any

additionalspending.Butenergycodesarethemostcosteffectivewayto lowerenergyuseandutility

billsforresidentsandbusinesses.ArecentstudybytheInstituteforMarketTransformationfoundthat

every $1 spent on enforcement of energy codes, yields $6 in energy savings. Despite these clear cut

benefits, many states in the Southeast are clearly lagging behind. The chart below shows the scores

awarded by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economys (ACEEE) Scorecard for 2010. The

maximumscoreis7.Componentsofthescoresincludeassessmentofbothenergycodestringencyand

enforcement. Virginia, Florida and North Carolina top the Southeast with scores of 6.5, 5.5 and 5,

respectively,whileMississippiandAlabamascoreatthebottomoftheSoutheastandthenationboth

withscoresofzero.

According to a BCAP estimate, if states in the Southeast begin implementing the 2009 IECC by 2011,

stateswillsaveanaverageof$136millionannuallyby2020and$272millionannuallyby2030.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Enforcement

Stringency

ACEEEEnergyEfficiencyScorecard2010


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Introduction


Adopting and enforcing the energy code will not only save states millions of dollars annually but will

costeffectivelyhelpstatesreachtheirgoalstoreduceenergyuseandmitigateclimatechange.Seven

outofelevenstates in theSoutheasthaveclimateactionplans inplace.According to thesameBCAP

estimate, states in the Southeast can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by an average of 2.64

millionmetrictons(MMT)peryearby2030.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

CostSavingsAnnuallyBy2030

$SavingsAnnually

by2020

$SavingsAnnually

by2030

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5CO2 ReductionAnnually(MMT)

CO2Reduction

by2030


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Introduction


TheobstaclestheSoutheastfacesintermsofadoptionandenforcementofenergycodesareconsistent

acrosstheregion.The lackoffunding,theruralnatureofstates intheregion,theneedforeducation

andtrainingofconsumers,builders,andenergyprovidersiscommonacrossallelevenstates.

Energycodesareastrongtoolforeconomicdevelopment,enhancementofqualityof life,energyuse

reductionandclimatechangemitigation.Thereiswidespreadmisunderstandingofwhatenergycodes

are and why they are important. Energy codes are a baseline that new buildings should not be built

below.Theyarenotagreenbuildingratingsystemsuchas theU.S.GreenBuildingCouncils (USGBC)

LEED or a green building standard. Energy codes are a standard that contribute to quality building.

Addressing buildingquality duringconstruction isagood investmentand ismuch less expensive than

improving energy efficiency later on in the life of the building. States should adopt and implement

energy codes and consumers should not accept anything lower than this minimum standard in their

homesorbusinesses.


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Alabama


ALABAMA

Alabama currently has a nonmandatory commercial and

residential energy code. Alabama is a home rule state.

Therefore, local municipalities have the authority to adopt

policies that they feel best fit the needs of their

communities. Meaningful adoption and enforcement can

onlyoccur at the local level.Adetrimentalconsequenceof

this system is that the State does not have mandatory

statewide energy codes. Alabama does however have the

2009 IECC in place as a mandatory code for all state

buildings. The Alabama Building Commission is responsible

forrevisingandupdating thisStateBuildingCode.Alabama

doesnothaveanautomaticcodereviewcycle inplaceand

in order to update the code the State Legislature must

initiatetheprocess.

Alabamareceivedazero(outofseven)onACEEEs2010EnergyEfficiencyScorecardintheenergycodes

categoryforboththestringencyofthecodeaswellasthestateofenforcement. Itranked last inthe

countryandintheSoutheastalongwithMississippi,indicatingaseriousneedtoimproveinallareasof

theenergycode.

AlabamaisthethirteenthlargestenergyproducerintheUnitedStatesmakingenergyproductionavery

important sector of the economy. Energy codes will reduce the energy demand within the state.

ReducedconsumptionwillenableAlabamatodecreasedependencyonotherstatesandeventuallywill

enable it to export unneeded energy. Alabama is currently a net energy importer, producing only

eighteenpercentoftheenergyneeded.Thestatehastheeleventhhighestpercapitaconsumptionof

energyintheUnitedStatesduetotheneedforairconditioninginveryhotsummersandthecommon

useofelectricheatersinthewintermonths.Thehighpercapitaconsumptionalsohasalargerimpact

onthestategiventhe lowpercapita incomeofresidents,ranking42nd inthecountry.Instateswhere

energyproductionisaveryimportantsectoroftheeconomy,energyefficiencyisoftenseenasathreat

to this industry. Inreality,reducingenergyconsumptionand loweringpercapitaenergyconsumption

canhaveverypositiveeffectsonboththeresidentsandbusinessesinAlabamaaswellasbringAlabama

closertobeingselfsufficient.

In 2009, Alabama received $55.6 million in State Energy Program (SEP) funding from the American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding in order to improve energy efficiency in the

state. As a stipulation of accepting this funding, a state is required to adopt an energy code that is

equivalenttothe2009 IECCandASHRAEStandard90.12007. Inaddition,thestatemustimplementa

plan toachieve90percentcompliancewiththesecodesby2017.AlabamaGovernorBobRileysenta


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Alabama


letter of assurance to DOE stating that he would request that the State Legislature consider taking

actionstoimprovethebuildingenergycodeinaccordancewiththeRecoveryActrequirements.

The requirements of receiving Recovery Act funding are not the only reason to improve Alabamas

energy code. BCAP calculates that if Alabama began implementing the 2009 IECC and Standard 90.1

2007statewidein2011,businessesandhomeownerswouldsaveanestimated$143millionannuallyby

2020 and $287 million annually by 2030 in energy costs (assuming 2006 prices). Additionally,

implementingthe2009IECCwouldhelpavoidabout42.2trillionBritishThermalUnits(BTUs)ofprimary

annualenergyuseby2030andannualemissionsofmorethan2.96millionmetrictonsofCO2by2030.

DOEEstimatedEnergyandCostSavingsResidential

Residential Savings($/yr) Savings(%)

ClimateZone2A(Mobile) 173 15

ClimateZone3A(Montgomery) 237 19

DOEestimatesanaverageperhomeenergysavingsof$173or15percentinclimatezonetwoand$237

or 19 percent in climate zone three, if Alabama adopts the 2009 IECC. In addition, a BCAP analysis

estimatesthattheaverage incrementalcostofadoptingthe2009IECCinAlabamaisonly$668.76per

homewithasimplepaybackperiodof3.26years.Averageenergysavingsperhomewouldtotal$205

peryearacrossthestate.

DOEEstimatedEnergyandCostSavingsCommercial

NonResidential EnergySavings(%) CostSavings(%)

ClimateZone2A(Mobile) 8.2 8.4

ClimateZone3A(Montgomery) 13.6 14.1

ResidentialHighRise ClimateZone2A(Mobile) 5.7 4.2


SemiHeated

ClimateZone2A(Mobile) 0.8 0.4


AccordingtoasimilarstudyconductedbyDOE,ifAlabamaadoptsacommercialenergycodeequivalent

toStandard90.12007,commercialbuildingscangainenergysavingsfrom5.7to13.6percentandcost

savingsbetween4.2and14.1percentasshowninthechartabove(excludingsemiheatedcommercial

buildings). DOE defines nonresidential buildings as any mid rise commercial building, residential

buildings as high rise residential buildings and semiheated buildings as commercial warehouses. A

commercial energy code will not only reduce energy use, but will increase the competitiveness of

businesses.


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Alabama


CurrentEnergy Code Activity

Although Alabama does not currently have a mandatory commercial or residential energy code, the

AlabamaEnergyandResidentialCodesBoardwasrecentlycreatedwiththegoalofadoptingmandatory

statewide building codes, including an energy code. There is no mandatory effective date. As of

November 30, 2010, the committee had already met twice and is currently discussing which code to

begin with before amendments are added. The committee will either begin with the 2006 IECC and

amendthecodetomakeitmorestringent,orstartwiththe2009IECCandmakeamendmentsthatwill

possibly weaken the code. Controversial sections of the 2009 IECC, such as mandatory fire sprinkler

systemsinresidentialbuildings,havealreadybeenruledout.Thisefforthaslikelybeensuccessfultothis

pointinpartbecauseoftheeffortsoftheHomeBuildersAssociationofAlabama(HBAA).HBAAassisted

inwritingthelegislation,jumpstartingthecodeadoptionprocess.

Despite thefact that thecommittee is likelytoadoptacodethat issomewhatweaker thanthe2009

IECC, amandatorycode for the state would be ahugesuccess.This initial code provides the starting

pointforfutureimprovement,asthenewstatelegislationrequiresanupdatewithintwoyearsofeach

publicationofthemostrecentmodelenergycode.Thiscodecommitteewillneedsupportduringthe

adoptionprocess;however,onceanenergycodeisadopted,enforcementassistancewillbethebiggest

needofthestate.

Adoption and Enforcement

State Level

ThereareanumberofstatewideimplementationactivitiescurrentlyunderwayinAlabamatohelplocal

jurisdictions to prepare for the coming code. A Gap Analysis and Implementation Action Kit were

recently completed by BCAP and SEEA, prepared for the Alabama Department of Economic and

CommunityAffairs (ADECA).Thesereportsoutline thebiggest needsof thestateaswellasprovidea

planandresourcesforimplementingacodewhenadopted.The ImplementationActionKitfocuseson

fiveofthebiggestjurisdictionsinthestate(Huntsville,Birmingham,Auburn,MontgomeryandMobile)

andwasdeliveredinpersontoeachjurisdictionsbuildinginspectiondepartmentalongwitha2009IECC

code book. Although the document used the information gathered from these jurisdictions, it is

designedtobeusedbyanylocationinthestateastheneedsandobstaclesthesejurisdictionsfaceare

similaracrossthestate.AlabamawasalsotherecipientofarecentDOEgrantfor$350,000tocontribute

toenforcementeffortsinthestate.BCAPandSouthfaceEnergyInstitute(Southface)willbesupporting

theseefforts.

To address the lack of training opportunities, ADECA is currently sponsoring energy code and high

performance building workshops administered by Southface in multiple regions of Alabama. Each

workshopisrelativelyinexpensiverequiringafeeof$50foreachofthetwohighperformancebuilding

workshops(withanoptionof$75forboth),$50fortheresidentialenergycodesworkshopand$50for

thecommercialenergycodesworkshop.Thistrainingserieswillcontinuethrough2011.


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Alabama


Alabama was also the recipient of a recent grant from DOE for $350,000 targeted at energy code

adoption,training,andcompliancewhichmayenablethestateto implementevenmoreenforcement

initiativesinthenearfuture.

Another statewide energy efficient building initiative is the HBAA EnergyKey program developed by

ADECA and Southface. This green home program is administered by HBAA and uses existing energy

benchmarks in its compliance requirements including the 2006 IECC energy chapter in its first tier,

Energy Star in thesecond tierand anevenmore advanced compliance checklist in the third tier.The

secondandthirdtiersalsorequiresignoffbyathirdpartyHomeEnergyRater(HERS).Alongwithenergy

requirements, the program includes water and waste reduction requirements in each tier. There are

roughly77EnergyKeybuildersinthestateand16companiesprovidingHERSratings.Inordertobecome

anEnergyKeybuilder,afourtosixhourtrainingprogrammustbecompletedbythebuilderatacostof

$100 for HBAA members and $200 for nonmembers. The application fee for qualifying homes

dependingonthelevelofachievementis$100$300perhome.

Similar to EnergyKey, EarthCraft House provides an additional green homes program available in

Alabama.EarthCraftHouse isapartnershipbetweenSouthfaceand thegreaterAtlantaHomebuilders

Association that uses a whole home approach to stress the importance of understanding how the

systemsofahouseworktogether.Theprogramsguidelinesaddressenergyefficiency,durability,indoor

airquality,resourceefficiency,wastemanagement,andwaterconservation.Thereisbothanewhomes

program and a renovations program in which a technical advisor will make recommendations before

improvementsaremade.Therearealsoprogramsthataddresscommunitiesandmultifamilybuildings.

TobecomeanEarthCraftHousebuilder,youmust joinalocalHomeBuildersAssociationChapter, join

the EarthCraft House program, attend a oneday EarthCraft House training session, attend a design

reviewandparticipateinawalkthroughwithEarthCraftHousestaff.Thisprocesscostsatotalof$825

(whichalsoincludesHomeBuilderAssociationdues).Therearecurrentlyelevencompaniesthatemploy

EarthCraftHousebuilders.

AlthoughAlabamasincreasedfocusonenergycodesisapparentthroughtheeffortsatthestatelevel,

energy efficiency and green building activity are still among the lowest in the country and in the

southeastwithonlyatotalof3,671EnergyStarHomesbuiltand24LEEDCertifiedbuildingsinthestate.

While these numbers are low compared to other states, they are higher thanneighboring states and

reveala large increase inactivity inrecentyears.OftheEnergyStarHomesbuilt,59percentof them

havebeenbuiltsince2009.Alabamaalsohastheprofessionalcapacitytosupportgreenandefficient

building with 62 Energy Star builders, 133 registered LEED projects pending as well as the 390 LEED

Accredited Professionals (APs). This existing capacity demonstrates the recent trend towards energy

efficientbuildingaswellasanexistinginfrastructuretoassistinenergycodeenforcement.


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Alabama


LocalLevel

As a home rule state, it is the responsibility of each jurisdiction to adopt and enforce building codes

locally. Although the code that will be recommended by the Alabama Energy and Residential Codes

Boardwillbemandatoryforalljurisdictionstoadopt,theobstaclesfacingbuildingdepartmentsinterms

ofenforcingbuildingcodeswillremain.

Thelackoffundingandcapacityinbuildingdepartmentshinderstheenforcementprocessandhasbeen

exacerbatedbytherecessionwhichcausedadetrimentaldrop innewconstructionstarts.Newsingle

family housing permits have dropped by 24 percent since 2000 taking away the business of builders

whichinturnhasreducedthepermitfeesthatfundalargeportionofmostinspectiondepartments.

Thislackoffundingimpactsthenumberofinspectorsemployed,thetimeavailableforplanreviewand

onsite inspections as well as the ability to access training and building code books. Since the energy

codeisoftenviewedastheleastnecessaryofbuildingcodes, it isthemost likelytobe leftoutofthe

adoptionandenforcementprocess.OutofthefivemajorjurisdictionsvisitedinAlabamabyBCAPand

SEEA,nonehadadoptedanyversionoftheIECC.Auburnwasthemostadvancedofthesefivewiththe

2009 International Codes (ICodes) with the energy chapter replaced by the 2006 code. Birmingham,

Montgomery, and Huntsville have the 2003 ICodes in place, while Mobile enforces the 2000

International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) (they are in the process of

updatingthecodetothe2009IRCandIBCwithoutanenergychapter).

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

NewHousingUnits Alabama

New

Housing

Units


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Alabama


The lack of knowledge of and interest in energy codes also stems from the absence of training

requirements at the state level. Although builders must have a certain amount of training, there is

currently no training requirement for code inspectors and therefore no Continuing Education (CEU)

requirementseither.Withoutrequirementsmandatedatthestate level, itwillbedifficulttoconvince

inspectorstovoluntarilyattendtrainings.Anadditionalissueatthelocallevelistheuncertaintyofthe

impendingdecisionbythestateonthemandatorybuildingcodes.Somearelookingtoupdatebuilding

codesincludingtheenergycode,buttheyarehesitatingtoadoptanenergycodeuntilthestatemakesa

finaldecisiononacode.Thesoonerthestatecodeisfinalized,thesoonerjurisdictionsinAlabamacan

prepareforthecode.

Anadditionalbarriertoenforcement inAlabama istheruralnatureofthestate.Despitetheabilityof

manymajorcitiestoenforcebuildingstructuralcodes,roughlyhalfofthepopulationisnotcoveredby

anybuildingcodeatall.Althoughtheimpendingenergycodewillbemandatory,thestatewillstillface

difficultiesenforcingthecodesinruralandunincorporatedareas.Amechanismwillneedtobecreated

to address this problem and could include municipalities contracting inspections out to county

departmentsorhiringthirdpartyevaluatorstoconducttheworkwithinatownthatisunabletofundan

inspectiondepartment.

Alabamahashistoricallylaggedbehindotherstatesinenergyefficiencyandgreeninitiatives.Thereare,

however,somepositiveindicationsatthelocallevelwhichrevealsanincreaseintheunderstandingof

theimportanceofreducingenergyuse.TheCityofHomewoodnearBirminghamistheonlycityinthe

statethathasadoptedthe2009 IECCaccordingto ICCand ismakingsignificanteffortstoenforcethis

code. The city has participated in both residential and commercial trainings offered by Southface in

ordertoincreasethefamiliaritywithboththe2009IECCandASHRAE90.12007.Inadditionthecityis

conductingeducationandoutreachtolocalcontractors.

Another Alabama locality that has had significant success in adopting and enforcing energy codes is

Shelby County. They have adopted all 2009 International Codes (ICodes) and provide a successful

strategy of enforcing building codes in rural areas that lack the capacity to provide the service

themselves. Many municipalities contract out to Shelby County which, in turn, provides these

municipalitieswithalloftheserviceswithin itsownbuildingdepartment.Otherpositive indications in

thestateincludesevencitiessigningontotheU.S.ConferenceofMayorsClimateProtectionAgreement

andonecountythatisanICLEImember(CalhounCounty).

Alabama is making a real effort to adopt and enforce a mandatory energy code. The state is

demonstratingthiscommitmentthroughtrainingandenforcementinitiativesaswellasengagingavery

diversestakeholdergrouptoensuresuccessintheadoptionprocess.


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Arkansas


ARKANSAS

TheArkansasEnergyCode isequivalenttothe2003 IECC

and ASHRAE 90.12001 and is mandatory for all

commercial and residential buildings. Although the

statewideenergycodeisoutdated,allstatebuildingsand

institutionsofhighereducationmustbebuilt toASHRAE

90.12007 as a part of the Arkansas Sustainable Energy

Efficient Buildings Program. Arkansas does not have an

automaticcodereviewcycleinplace.Acodechangemust

firstbeinitiatedbytheArkansasEnergyOffice(AEO)and

isthenreviewedbyallstakeholdersaffectedbythecode.

Anychangestotheproposedcodearethensubmittedfor

a public hearing. After being approved, the proposed

change is reviewed by the AEO and two legislative

committeesbeforethecodeisupdated.

Arkansas received a three (out of seven) on ACEEEs 2010 Energy Efficiency Scorecard in the energy

codescategory.Thestatereceivedatwo(outoffive)forthestringencyofthecodeandaone(outof

two)forthestateofenforcement.Itranked38thinthecountryandeighthintheSoutheast.Thestates

scoreintheeffectivenessofcodeenforcementdroppedbyonepointfromlastyearsscorecard.These

resultsindicateaseriousneedtoimproveinallareasoftheenergycode.

Arkansas is not a large producer of energy. The state is ranked fifth in the Southeast in per capita

consumptionofenergyand17thinthenation.Thishighpercapitaenergyconsumptionismainlydueto

residents using electric heat for homes and the existence of an energy intensive industrial sector.

Arkansas currently imports 21 percent of the energy consumed from other states. The state and its

residentswouldbenefitgreatlyfromtheenergyandcostsavingsthataccompanybuildingenergycodes.

Currently,lowincomehouseholdsspendroughly1416percentoftheirincomeonutilitybills.Arkansas

hasalowerthanaveragepercapitaincome.Thestateranks46thintheU.S.andhasahighpercentageof

householdsbelowthepovertyline.Reducingenergyusecanhavealargeimpactonresidentsbygreatly

reducingutilitybills.MoreadvancedenergycodescanhaveaverypositiveeffectinArkansas,especially

giventheeconomicbenefitstoresidentsandtheabilitytoenableArkansastobecomelessdependent

energyimportedintothestate.

In 2009, the state received $39.4 million in SEP funding from the Recovery Act in order to improve

energyefficiencyinthestate.Asastipulationofacceptingthisfunding,astateisrequiredtoadoptan

energy code that is equivalent to the 2009 IECC and ASHRAE 90.12007. In addition, the state must

implementaplantoachieve90percentcompliancewiththesecodesby2017.ArkansasGovernorMike

Beebe sent a letter of assurance to DOE stating that he would request that the Arkansas General


19/76

Arkansas


Assemblyconsiderimprovingthebuildingenergycodebutwouldonlyconsiderthestatutorylanguage

containedinARRA.

The requirements of receiving Recovery Act funding are not the only reason to improve Arkansas

energy code. BCAP calculates that ifArkansas began implementing the 2009 IECC and Standard 90.1

2007statewidein2011,businessesandhomeownerswouldsaveanestimated$40millionannuallyby

2020 and $81 million annually by 2030 in energy costs (assuming 2006 prices). Additionally,

implementingthelatestmodelcodeswouldhelpavoidabout13.1trillionBTUofprimaryannualenergy

useby2030andannualemissionsofmorethan0.92MMTofCO2by2030.

DOE estimates anaverage per home energy savingsof $242 or15percent in climatezone three and

$245 or 14 percent in climate zone four if Arkansas adopts the 2009 IECC. BCAP did not conduct an

incrementalcostanalysisforthestateofArkansas.

AccordingtoasimilarstudyconductedbyDOE,ifArkansasadoptsacommercialenergycodeequivalent

toASHRAE90.12007,commercialbuildingscangainenergysavingsfrom3.4to12.4percentandcost

savingsbetween3.2and9.0percentasshown inthechartabove(excludingsemiheatedcommercial


buildings as high rise residential buildings and semiheated as commercial warehouses. A commercial

energycodewillnotonlyreduceenergyuse,butwillincreasethecompetitivenessofbusinesses.


Arkansasstateenergycode isoutofdate,buttherearesome indicationsthat thestate is lookingto

update itsenergycode.Originallythestatewasonlyconsideringcommercialcodes,butmostrecently

discussionshavestartedtotrendtowardsupdatingboththecommercialandresidentialcode.

TheArkansasEconomicDevelopmentCommission,whichhousestheAEO,willbesubmittinglegislation

tobefiledbeforeDecember2010encouragingtheadoptionofthe2009 IECCandASHRAE90.12007.


Residential Savings($/yr) PercentSavings(%)

ClimateZone3A(LittleRock) 242 15

ClimateZone4A(Fayetteville) 245 14


Nonresidential EnergySavings(%) CostSavings(%)

ClimateZone3A(LittleRock) 4 3.9

ClimateZone4A(Fayetteville) 3.4 3.2

ResidentialHighRise

ClimateZone3A(LittleRock) 12.4 9.0


SemiHeated

ClimateZone3A(LittleRock) 0.6 0.3



20/76

Arkansas


TheoutcomewillbedeterminedinArkansasFebruarysession.Acoalitiontosupportthislegislationis

currently being built in a cooperative effort by SEEA and BCAP. The adoption of a commercial code

seemsmuchmorelikelythanaresidential.Thestatebelievesthatasignificantamountofeducationof

builders will be necessary in order to adopt the residential code. An additional difficulty in code

adoptionisthatthelegislatureonlymeetseveryotheryearrenderingeachcodeupdatemoredifficult.

Everysession inwhichthestatechoosesnottoupdatetheenergycodemakesthecurrentcodeeven

more outdated and harder to improve. Arkansas is a state where both adoption and enforcement

assistancewillbeneededatthestatelevel.


State Level

There iscurrentlyone enforcement initiativeunderway in Arkansas to assist thestate in meeting the

Recovery Act requirements. Arkansas was one of 18 states selected by BCAP to participate in the

CompliancePlanningAssistanceProgram(CPAProgram).AsapartofthisprogramBCAPwillconducta

gapanalysistoassessthecurrentgapsinenforcementandcompliance.Itwillthenassistindevelopinga

plantomeetthefederalrequirementstailoredtotheneedsatthestateandlocallevel.Thisprojectis

alreadyunderwayandagapanalysisisscheduledtobecompletedbytheendof2010.

Althoughtherearecurrentlynoadditionaleffortsatthestate leveltospecifically increasecompliance

with energy codes, Arkansas provides an abundance of information including energy saving tips and

information, easily accessible information on the energy code and a number of climate change

mitigationandgreenbuildinginitiativesthatwillbebeneficialwhendevelopingthecapacitytocomply

withthecurrentandfutureenergycode.

In2007,GovernorBeebeestablishedtheGovernorsCommissiononGlobalWarmingthroughAct696of

theArkansasGeneralAssembly.TheCommissionwascharged withsettingagoalandcreatinga plan

withrecommendations formitigating theeffectsofglobalwarming.TheCenter forClimateStrategies

assistedArkansastocreatethefinalreportcompletedinOctober2008andincludesrecommendations

to reduce the energy use in new and existing buildings. In addition, Arkansas is one of the oldest

members of the Clean Cities Coalition (15 years). To ensure that residents, builders and design

professionals know the opportunities and benefits that exist through saving energy, the AEO website

providesawealthofeasytoaccessinformationonenergysavings,thecurrentenergycode,incentives

andupcomingeventsfocusedonenergyissues.

AlthoughitisapparentthatArkansassStateEnergyOfficeismakingeffortstoincreaseenergyefficiency

and green building activity including energy code adoption, the state still lags significantly behind all

other states in the Southeast region. There are currently only 642 Energy Star homes and 33 LEED

Certified Buildings. There is definitely a trend of increased building efficiency, but this trend is not

increasing as quickly as most other states. There are only 83 registered LEED Buildings and only 35

percentofEnergyStarhomeshavebeenbuiltsince2009.Arkansasalsodoesnothavetheinfrastructure


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Arkansas


that many other neighboring states have. There are only 396 LEED APs and 53 qualified Energy Star

builders.

LocalLevel

Despite the fact that the Arkansas Energy Code is mandatory, it is still difficult to ensure that all

jurisdictions are enforcing and are capable of enforcing the energy code. The lack of funding and

capacity in building departments has hindered the enforcement process of the code. This has been

exacerbatedbytherecessionwhichcausedadetrimentaldrop innewconstructionstarts.Newsingle

familyhousingpermitsdroppedby23percentsince2000takingawaythebusinessofbuilderswhichin

turnhasreducedthepermitfeesthatfundalargeportionofmostinspectiondepartments.

This lack of funding impacts the number of inspectors employed at building departments, the time

available for plan review and onsite inspections as well as the ability to access training and building

codebooks.Sincetheenergycodeisoftenviewedastheleastnecessaryofbuildingcodes,itisthemost

likelytobeleftoutoftheadoptionandenforcementprocess.

There is also a lack of training opportunities at both the state and local level. There are no training

requirementsforbuildersorCEUsrequiredinordertomaintainalicense.Torequiretrainingwouldput

morestrainonthealreadystrugglinghomebuilders.Thenumberof licensedhomebuildershasgone

from5,000to1,700acrossthestateandmandatingtrainingwouldmeetwithheavyresistance.

Thereare,however,certificationrequirementsfor inspectorstobecome licensed.TheArkansasHome

InspectorRegistrationBoardrequireshomeinspectorstoregisterandcomplete80hoursofclassroom

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

NewHousingUnits Arkansas

NewHousing

Units


22/76

Arkansas


training.ICCtrainingcompletionisacceptableaswell.Inaddition,inspectorsmustcomplete14hoursof

boardapproved CEUs annually with a maximum of four hours of online training. The state enables

consumerstolocatequalifiedhomeinspectorsonline,increasingthetransparencyandensuringquality

controlthroughoutthestate.Theserequirementsatthestatelevelwillcontributetocapacitybuilding

ofinspectiondepartmentsaswellastheabilitytoeffectivelyenforcetheenergycode.

Therearetwoexamplesofsuccessfulimplementationofadvancedcodesandadoptionofcodesthatare

above thecurrentArkansasEnergyCode.FayettevilleadoptedaMunicipalBuildingStandard in2007.

Accordingtothisstandard,allnewcityownedfacilitiesgreaterthan5,000squarefeetmustachievea

minimumofLEEDSilvercertification.Thestandardalsorequiresallothernewconstructioninthecityto

submitaLEEDchecklistwithapermitapplication.Inaddition,allnewhomesarerequiredtodisplayan

energy scorecard. Fayetteville has had success in implementing a creative strategy for enforcing

standards through its Code Ranger Program which includes a Code Activity Book, a Code Education

Program and Program Guide. This code compliance program currently does not seem to stress the

energy code but is a resourceful strategy for making compliance with city codes easier and more

understandableusingcartooncharactersandpictures.InadditiontoFayettevillesefforts,oneothercity

has adopteda code above themandatorystatewideenergy code. According to the ICCsrecords, the

CityofLowellistheonlycityinthestatetoadoptanenergycodeabovethestatecode(2006IECC).

Althoughwedoseesomesuccessstories,theseareaproductofthesizeofthecityandresourcesof

building departments. It will be a challenge to find approaches to enforce the energy code in

jurisdictionsthatdonothavetheresourcesandfundingtodevelopthenecessarycapacity.

Itisalsoverydifficulttocoverruralandunincorporatedareas.Theabilitytoaddressthisissuemaybe

even more difficult than in neighboring states given the lack of third party inspectors residing in

Arkansas. In addition to the low number of green buildings, such as LEED and Energy Star, only nine

companies have Home Energy Raters (HERS)in the state. Green initiatives in the state are also

uncommon. There are only five cities that have signed on to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate

Protection Agreement, and three ICLEI members. This lack of focus on energy efficiency and green

buildingcombinedwith thepoorratingbyACEEE,especially intheenforcementsector, indicatesthat

Arkansasmaybelackingthecapacitytoeffectivelyenforcetheenergycode.

Arkansaswillneedassistancebuildingitsinfrastructureatthelocallevelaswellassupportinadopting

anupdatedenergycodeespeciallyintheareasofeducation,training,andincrementalcostinformation

onthecommercialside.


23/76

Florida


FLORIDA

The 2007 Florida Energy Efficiency Code for Building

Constructioniscurrentlyineffectandisapproximately

17 percent more efficient than homes built to the

standards of the 2006 IECC and about 3 percent less

than the 2009 IECC. The Florida Building Commission

(FBC) is responsible for updating the code which is

reviewedeverythreeyears.

In addition to historically being on track to adopt a

code that is equivalent to the most recent model

codes, Floridaestablished a state buildingstandard in

2008 that requires all new construction and

renovationsofstatebuildingstobeLEEDcertifiedorto

follow another green building rating system including Green Globes and the Florida Green Building

Coalitionstandards.Therequirementalsoextendstoallcounties,municipalities,schooldistricts,water

management districts, state universities, community colleges, and Florida state courts. In addition, all

newleasesofstateoccupiedofficespacemustmeetEnergyStar.

Florida received a 5.5 (out of 7) on ACEEEs 2010 Energy Efficiency Scorecard in the energy codes

category.Thestatereceiveda4.5(outof5)forthestringencyofthecodeanda1(outof2)forthestate

of enforcement. It is ranked twelfth in the country and second in the Southeast behind Virginia. The

statesscoreinthestringencyofcodeenforcementisindicativeofthestateshistoricallyeffectivecode

adoptionprocess.DespiteFloridasleadershipintheSoutheastforcodeadoption,theeffectivenessof

codeenforcementscorerevealstheneedtoconcentrateresourcesoncomplianceinordertogainthe

fullbenefitsoftheenergycode.

Floridaisanetimporterofenergydespitebeingarelativelylargeproducerofenergy.Floridais27thin

the nation and seventh in the Southeast in total energy production and is the second highest net

electricityproducerintheU.S.Floridaspercapitaenergyconsumptionranks43rdinthecountryandlast

in the Southeast. However, the state only produces 13 percent of the energy it needs. Despite its

relatively low overall per capita consumption, its residential per capita energy consumption is high

because of the need for airconditioning and the common use of electric heaters. Given the high per

capita

use

of

energy

in

the

residential

sector,

continuing

to

update

energy

codes

and

improving

enforcementateachreviewcyclewillcontinueto lowerenergyuse inthestate.Reducingenergyuse

willenableFloridatolessen itsdependenceonoutsidestatesandwillcosteffectively lowertheutility

billsofmanyresidents.

In 2009, the state received $126 million in SEP funding from the Recovery Act in order to improve



24/76

Florida



implementaplantoachieve90percentcompliancewiththesecodesby2017.FloridaGovernorCharlie

Crist sent a letter of assurance to DOE stating that Floridas energy code was already substantially

equivalent to the requirements. In addition, he assured that the energy code would be at least 20

percentmorestringentthanthesecurrentstandardswithineightyears.Thestatealsostatedthatthe

codewillbe30percent,40percent,and50percentmoreefficientin2013,2016,2019thanthe2007

respectively.

The requirements of receiving Recovery Act funding are not the only reason to improve Floridas

compliancewiththeenergycode.BCAPcalculatesthatifFloridabeganimplementingthe2009IECCand

Standard 90.12007 statewide in 2011, businesses and homeowners would save an estimated $256

million annually by 2020 and $499 million annually by 2030 in energy costs (assuming 2006 prices).

Additionally, implementingthelatestmodelcodeswouldhelpavoidabout65.2trillionBTUofprimary

annualenergyuseby2030andannualemissionsofmorethan4.55MMTofCO2by2030.

Unfortunately,becauseFloridasenergycode issodifferentfromthoseofthe IECCandASHRAE90.1

2007,nocostsavingsestimatesforcommercialorresidentialbuildingsorincrementalcostestimatesof

buildinganewhomebyimplementingthe2009IECCexistfromeitherDOEorBCAP.


Florida traditionally stays on track adopting energy codes that are equivalent to the most recent

standardsandarecurrentlyontracktoadoptanewenergycodethatincludesamendmentstobringthe

codeuptothestandardsofthe2009IECC.Thepubliccommentperiodhasendedandahearingwillbe

heldonDecember78,2010withafinalrulingonFebruary1,2010

SinceFloridatendstohavelittletroubleintheadoptionprocess,effortsinthisstateshouldbefocused

onsupportingtheenforcementoftheenergycodeandcollaboratingwithcurrentstakeholdersthatare

involvedcurrentlyinthiseffort.


State Level

Florida already has good enforcement mechanisms in place as well as the capacity in the green and

efficient building sector to achieve substantial compliance with energy codes. Training on the energy

codeisthebiggestobstacletoenforcementinFlorida.Thestatedoesnothaveanytrainingprogramsin

place currently, though there are indications that there may be efforts in the future to providemore

education.Althoughthereisnotrainingofferedthroughthestate,theFBChasaninformativeandeasily

accessible website that contains useful information on the Florida Building Code. Through this site,

anyonecanaccessinformationonbecomingatrainer,registeringforacourse,findingatrainer,andan

electronic version of the building code. An online resource like this can help builders, professional


25/76

Florida


designers, consumers, inspectors and trainers to understand the energy code, making it much more

enforceable. Also assisting in compliance with the code, Florida has developed its own compliance

software. Energy Gauge FlaRes and FlaCom can be used to demonstrate compliance much like DOEs

COMCheckandREScheck.

Anotheronlineeducationalresource,MyFlorida Green Building,providesinformationongreenbuilding

in Florida toadiverseaudience. The website isoperated by the FloridaSolarEnergy Center (FSEC), a

research institute of the University of Central Florida that was charged by the Florida Department of

Community Affairs and the Florida Building Commission to create a Green Building Website. Through

this initiative,a Green Buildings Workgroup was established. The group published two documents on

model green building ordinances and a public awareness campaign. The group, formed by the FBC,

consists of local and state officials, building officials, industry representatives and conservation

advocates. This website includes information on developing programs, an incentives database and

multiple resources to increase the understanding of green building and increase the number of

initiativesinthisareaacrossthestate.

Floridaalsodemonstratescommitment toclimatechangemitigation.Through threeexecutiveorders,

Governor Crist established theGovernors Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, conducted an

emissions inventory,andsetemissionsreductiongoalsforthestate.TheActionTeamwithassistance

fromtheCenterforClimateStrategieswaschargedwithcreatingtheFloridaEnergyandClimateChange

Action Planwhich was completed on October 15, 2008. It included recommendations to improve the

efficiency of existing residential buildings. In addition, Florida is developing its owncapandtrade

program through theDepartment of Environmental Protectionin order to address the emissions of

electricutilities.

FloridaisclearlyaleaderinenergyefficiencyandgreenbuildingeffortsintheSoutheast.Floridaleads

theSoutheast inbothEnergyStarhomes,with24,473builttodate,andLEEDcertifiedbuildings,with

255 certified in the state. The state also shows a trend towards increased efficiency. Twentyfour

percentoftheEnergyStarhomeshavebeenbuiltsince2009.Inaddition,thestatehas1,140registered

LEED projects. There are 304 Energy Star qualified builders, 7,392 LEED APs, and 49 HERS raters in

Florida. The available capacity and infrastructure in the state reveals why enforcement is more

successfulthanotherlocations,butalsodemonstratestheabilitytoimprove.

LocalLevel

Despite Floridas current ability to comply with the energy code, it is still difficult to ensure that all

jurisdictions are enforcing and are capable of enforcing the energy code. The lack of funding and

capacity in building departments hinders the enforcement process of energy codes and has been

exacerbatedbytherecessionwhichcausedadetrimentaldrop innewconstructionstarts.Floridawas

particularlyhardhitwithnewsinglefamilyhousingpermitsdroppingby77percentsince2000taking

away the businessofbuilders which in turn has reduced the permit fees that fund a largeportion of

mostinspectiondepartments.


26/76

Florida


This lack of funding impacts the number of inspectors employed at building departments, the time




Unfortunately, although there are rigorous mandatory training requirement for becoming a licensed

building inspector includingthecompletionof120hoursoftrainingonallaspectsof thebuildingand

mandatoryrequirementsof14hoursofCEUseverytwoyears,there isnospecializationforanenergy

inspector.The lackof thisspecializationdoesnotensure that thereareany trainingrequirements for

enforcingtheenergycode.Withoutthisrequirement,itisdifficulttoensurethatenergycodesremaina

focusoflocalbuildingdepartments.

Thereare training opportunities that local officialsand builders can take advantage of inFlorida.The

FSEC offers building science training for commercial buildings, residential buildings and energy rating.

Thecoursesareofferedviawebinaraswellasintheclassroominvariousregionsofthestate.

Anotherbuildingcodetrainingopportunitycanbefoundthroughavarietyofcommunitycolleges.The

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has partnered with ten technical

institutes, community colleges and local unions to offer training courses to ensure the proper

installationofmaterialsinordertomeetbuildingcodesandenergycodes.

InFlorida, jurisdictionscannotadoptanycodeotherthanthecurrentFloridaBuildingCode.Theymay

makeamendments,but theseamendmentsmayberejected.Although jurisdictionscannotadoptany

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

NewHousingUnits Florida

NewHousing

Units


27/76

Florida


advanced energy codes, there have been successful cases of implementing green codes at the local

level. There are seven communities that have adopted green codes (Deltona, Gainesville County,

Jacksonville,BrowardCounty,LakeCounty,MiamiDadeCounty,andTampa).Mostofthestandardsare

based on building publiclyowned buildings to LEED Certification or other recognized green building

standards. There are also a few incentivebased programs including reduced permit fees in Deltona,

Gainesville,andJacksonville.

The ability to address energy code enforcement is made much easier with the strong green building

capacityinthestateandthepositiveoutlookongreenandefficientbuilding.Inadditiontolocalgreen

buildingstandards,20citiesandcountiesare ICLEImembersand75citieshavesignedon to theU.S.

Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Florida shows a real commitment to advancing

energy codes and appears to have the capacity needed to effectively comply with the energy code.

Floridawilllikelyneedthemostsupportcreatingstrategiestoenforceormeasurecompliancewiththe

energycode.


28/76

Georgia


GEORGIA

Georgia currently has the 2006 IECC and ASHRAE

90.12004 in place as a mandatory energy code.

Changes to the code are made through a multi

step process. Recommendations to update the

energy code are first sent to the Department of

Community Affairs. These are subsequently

reviewed by a task force made up of diverse

stakeholders.Oncetheproposal isevaluated, it is

sent toa State Codes AdvisoryCommittee (SCAC)

whichwillreviewtheproposalandthensubmit it

forpublichearing.Once theproposal isapproved

bytheSCACitisincludedinthenextcodeedition

by the Board of Community Affairs and is finally

approvedbytheDepartmentofCommunityAffairs

in a final rulemaking. Although there is no set code update cycle, Georgia traditionally updates

amendmentseachyearandreviewsitscodeuponthepublicationofneweditionsofthemodelenergy

code.

OnNovember, 3,2010, Georgiaapprovedanenergycode basedon the 2009 IECC withamendments

andASHRAE90.12007.ThenewcodewilltakeeffectonJanuary1,2011.

Georgia isahomerulestatemaking itdifficult toensurecompliancewitheachadoptedenergycode.

AlthoughtheGeorgiaEnergyCode(GEC) ismandatory,enforcementatthe local level isnot, leaving it

uptolocaljurisdictionstoenforcethestatewidecode.

Georgiareceiveda4.5(outofseven)onACEEEs2010EnergyEfficiencyScorecardintheenergycodes

category.Thestatereceivedafour(outoffive)forthestringencyofthecodeanda0.5(outof2)forthe

stateofenforcement.Itranked24thinthecountryandfourthintheSoutheast.Thestatesscoreonthe

stringency of the energy code increased by one point since last years score card while enforcement

remained thesame.The statesscore in theeffectivenessofcodeenforcement isconsistentwith the

difficultiesassociatedwithenforcingenergycodesinahomerulestate.

Georgia

is

a

net

importer

of

energy,

producing

only

17

percent

of

the

energy

consumed.

Georgia

is

29

th

inthenationandninthintheSoutheastintotalenergyproductionandistheninthlargestnetelectricity

producer in theU.S. Although Georgiasper capita energy consumption ranks 31st in the country and

ninth in theSoutheast, itselectricityconsumption isamong thehighest inthenation.Given the large

amount of electricity that is both produced and consumed, continuing to update energy codes and

improving enforcement will lower electricity use in the state enabling Georgia to lessen the gap

betweenenergyproductionandconsumption.


29/76

Georgia





implementaplantoachieve90percentcompliancewiththesecodesby2017.GeorgiaGovernorSonny

PerduesentaletterofassurancetoDOEstatingthatGeorgiawouldupdateitsenergycodetomeetor

exceed the most up to date energy code in both the commercial and residential sectors and will

implementaplantoachieve90percentcomplianceby2017.Healsostatedthatthecomplianceplan

wouldincludetrainingandenforcementprogramsandannualmeasurementsofcompliancerates.

The requirements of receiving Recovery Act funding are not the only reason to improve Georgias

compliance with the energy code. BCAP calculates that if Georgiabegan implementing the 2009 IECC

andStandard90.12007statewidein2011,businessesandhomeownerswouldsaveanestimated$217


Additionally, implementing the latest model codes would help avoid about 63 trillion BTU of primary


DOEestimatesanaverageperhomeenergysavingsof$183or15percentinclimatezonetwo,$229or

16percent inclimatezonethree,and$213and15percent inclimatezonefour ifGeorgiaadoptsand

implementsthe2009IECC.Inaddition,aBCAPanalysisestimatesthattheaverageincrementalcostof

adoptingthe2009IECCinGeorgiaisonly$675.36perhomewithasimplepaybackperiodof3.28years

andenergysavingstotaling$206perhomeannuallyacrossthestate.



ClimateZone2A(Savannah) 183 15

ClimateZone3A(Atlanta) 229 16

ClimateZone4A(Rome) 213 15



ClimateZone2A(Savannah) 1.7 1.6

ClimateZone3A(Atlanta) 3.4 3.3


ResidentialHighRise

ClimateZone2A(Savannah) 3.2 2.8ClimateZone3A(Atlanta) 3.5 2.9


SemiHeated

ClimateZone2A(Savannah) 0.8 0.4

ClimateZone3A(Atlanta) 0.4 0.2

ClimateZone4A(Rome) 0.7 0.4


30/76

Georgia


AccordingtoasimilarstudyconductedbyDOE,ifGeorgiaadoptsacommercialenergycodeequivalent

to Standard 90.12007, commercial buildings can gain energy savings from 1.7 to 5 percent and cost

savings between 1.6 and 3 percent as shown in the chart above (excluding semiheated commercial


buildings as high rise residential buildings and semiheated as commercial warehouses. A commercial

energycodewillnotonlyreduceenergyuse,butwillincreasethecompetitivenessofbusinesses.


Asnotedearlier,onNovember,3,2010,Georgiaapprovedanenergycodebasedonthe2009IECCwith

amendments and ASHRAE Standard 90.12007. There are several strengthening amendments in the

residential code that include mandatory blower door tests for all residential buildings, a requirement

thatisoftenopposedinotherstates.ThenewcodewilltakeeffectonJanuary1,2011.

Georgiasnextcodeupdatewill likelyoccuruponthepublicationofthenextversionofenergycodes.

Since the state tends to stay on track adopting updated codes, the state should focus on efforts to

supporttheenforcementoftheGECandmeasuringcompliance.


State Level

DespitethedifficultiesofenforcingtheGECatalocallevel,thereareseveralmechanismsinplacethat

support increasing the level of enforcement in the state. Georgia has shown a demonstrated

commitment to achieving 90 percent compliance through both a DOE Energy Codes CompliancePilot

Study

as

well

as

the

issuance

of

an

RFP

designed

to

provide

activities

to

increase

and

monitor

compliancewiththeGeorgiaStateEnergyCode.

GeorgiawaschosentoparticipateinDOEsEnergyCodeCompliancePilotstudy.Throughthispilotthe

DOEsBuildingEnergyCodesProgram(BECP)fundsprojectswiththeobjectiveofdeterminingeffective

methods of measuring compliance in states. The results of this pilot will ensure that states have the

capabilitytomeettheRecoveryActrequirements.Georgiaisresponsibleforidentifying44samplenew

commercialbuildingsanddeterminingthecompliancerateofthesebuildingsthroughoutthestate.The

buildingswillbedistributedacrosssize,climatezone,buildingtype,buildinguse,owner,complexityand

county.Theultimategoalofthisprojectistodeterminethemosteffectiveprocesstomeasureenergy

code

compliance.

TheGeorgiaEnvironmentalFinanceAuthority(GEFA)recentlyissuedanRFPtosupporttheenforcement

oftheGEC.TheRFPconsistsofthreephases:1)training,2)acompliancestudy,and3)apilotproject.

Thefirstphasewilladdressthetrainingneedsinthestatethroughmultiplecommercialandresidential

trainings,onlineresourcedevelopmentandtechnicalcollegeoutreach.Thesecondphasewillincludea

complianceevaluation identicaltothecurrentGeorgiaCompliancePilotwiththeinclusionofnewand


31/76

Georgia


renovatedresidentialbuildingsandrenovatedcommercialbuildings.Thethirdphase isa localbuilding

department pilot project with the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of the department and

supplyingrecommendationsforimprovements.

GeorgiawastherecipientofarecentgrantfromDOEfor$350,000targetedatenergycodeadoption,

training,andcompliancewhichmayenablethestatetoimplementevenmoreenforcementinitiativesin

thenearfuture.

Inadditiontothesestateefforts,SouthfaceoffersmanytrainingopportunitiesthroughoutGeorgia.The

organization is based in Atlanta and offers trainings in highperformance building and design and

operation and maintenance, BPI certification training and exams, HERS, LEED, Earth Craft, home

performance,andEnergyStar.Althoughenergycodespecifictraining isnecessary,allofthesecourses

are essential in ensuring builders and design professionals understand the importance of efficient

building.

Southface also acts as a third party rater, inspector and offers many more services in the green and

efficient building sector including energy modeling, LEED administration, and building assessments. In

addition, the organization administers the Building America program funded through the DOE which

promotes green and efficient building on a community wide scale. Builders can participate in this

programatnocostandwillreceiveSouthfacesexperttechnicalguidancethroughouttheSoutheast.

EarthCraft House provides an additional green homes program available in Georgia, Alabama, South

Carolina,Tennessee,andVirginia.EarthCraftHouseisapartnershipbetweenSouthfaceandthegreater

Atlanta Homebuilders Association that uses a whole home approach to stress the importance of

understanding how the systems of a house work together. The programs guidelines address energy

efficiency, durability, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, waste management, and water

conservation. There is both a new homes program and a renovations program in which a technical

advisor will make recommendations before improvements are made. There are also programs that

addresscommunitiesandmultifamilybuildings.TobecomeanEarthCraftHousebuilder,youmustjoina

local Home Builders Association Chapter, join the EarthCraft House program, attend a oneday

EarthCraft House training session, attend a design review and participate in a walk through with

EarthCraft House staff. This process costs a total of $825 (which includes Home Builder Association

dues).

The state of Georgias participation in and sponsorship of green building initiatives increase the

effectivenessofavailabletrainingsthroughoutthestate.GEFAcurrentlysponsorsenergycodetrainings

through Southface as well as an annual sustainable communitiesconference, Greenprints Conference

andTradeShow.ThisconferenceiscohostedbySouthfaceeachyearandwilltakeplaceonMarch14

15,2011.AnotherpartnershipbetweenGEFAandSouthfaceareenergycodetrainingsthataddressthe

everevolvingenergycode.Unfortunately,GeorgiadoesnothaveanytrainingorCEUrequirementsto

become a licensed building inspector. With certification requirements, the state could increase the


32/76

Georgia


effectiveness of training programs throughout the state by requiring inspectors to attend approved

workshopsandcourses.

Georgias apparent commitment to reducing energy use and climate change mitigation also supports

efforts to enforce the energy code by bringing energy efficiency initiatives to the focus of residents,

buildersand localgovernments.Although thestatedoesnothavea formalclimateactionplan,GEFA

housestheGovernorsEnergyChallengewhichaimstoreduceconsumptionby15percentby2020.The

website gives residents, schools, state and local governments, businesses, and nonprofits the

opportunitytosignupforthechallengeandgaintipstosavingenergy.Georgiaalsohasastateutility

programthatprovidestechnicalassistancetootherGeorgiaagencies tooptimizeenergypurchases in

state facilities and to promote the most efficient use of energy in both building construction and

renovation.

Georgia is clearly a leader in energy efficiency and green building efforts in the Southeast. There are

10,963EnergyStarhomesand200LEEDcertifiedbuildingsinGeorgia.Inaddition,thestatealsoshowsa

trend towards increasedefficiency.Fortyonepercentof theEnergyStarhomeshavebeenbuiltsince

2009. In addition, the state has 565 registered LEED projects. There are 152 Energy Star qualified

builders,4,199LEEDAPs,and31companieswithHERSraters in thestate.Theavailablecapacityand

infrastructureinthestaterevealsthatthereisagreatopportunitytosuccessfullyimproveenforcement

oftheenergycodeinGeorgia.

LocalLevel

Local jurisdictionsauthority toenforceenergycodes isnot theonlyobstacle toensuringcompliance.

The lack of funding and capacity in building departments hinders the enforcement process of energy

codesandhasbeenexacerbatedbytherecessionwhichcausedadetrimentaldropinnewconstruction

starts.Georgiawasparticularlyhardhitwithnewsinglefamilyhousingpermitsdroppingby80percent

since2000takingawaythebusinessofbuilderswhich inturnhasreducedthepermitfeesthatfunda

largeportionofmostinspectiondepartments.


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Georgia


This lack of funding impacts the number of inspectors employed at inspection departments, the time




Unfortunately, without statewide certification requirements for building inspector training, the only

incentive to received training will remain at the local level. Local governments will have to take

responsibilityforensuringthepropertrainingofbuildinginspectorsinorderincreasetheimportanceof

efficientbuildingpractices.

There are several successful cases of implementing advanced energy codes and green building

ordinances inGeorgia. Four cities have adopted green codes that revolve around LEED or EarthCraft

Housecertification(Athens,Atlanta,Chamblee,andConyers).Mostofthecitiesdonotrequirebuildings

toactuallyberegisteredwithLEED,avoidingcostlyfees.AthensGeorgiagoesastepfurthertoensure

theefficiencyofbuildingsthroughthegreencode.NotonlymustabuildingbeLEEDcertified,butthe

buildingmustbeatleast10percentmoreefficientthanthestandardsestablishedinASHRAE90.12007.

Inadditiontolocalgreenbuildingstandards,fourcitiesandcountiesareICLEImembersandninecities

havesignedontotheU.S.ConferenceofMayorsClimateProtectionAgreement.Georgiashowsareal

commitment to advancing energy codes and appears to have the capacity needed for effective

enforcement.

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

NewHousingUnits Georgia

NewHousing

Units


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Georgia


Althoughgreenbuildingcapacityandsustainablecommunitycommitmentdoesnotappeartobeashigh

inGeorgiaasafewotherstatesintheSoutheastsuchasFloridaandNorthCarolina,thestatestraining

infrastructureandprofessionalcapacitywillgreatlybenefitanyeffortsmadebyGeorgiatostrengthen

enforcementandcompliancewiththeenergycode.Asaresultofenforcementbeingdeterminedonthe

local level, Georgia will likely need the most support creating strategies to encourage energy code

enforcementandtobringcapacityandresourcesatthestateleveltolocaljurisdictions.


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Kentucky


KENTUCKY

The 2007 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky

ResidentialCodearecurrently inplaceasmandatory

codes. The Kentucky Building Code is based on the

2006IBCwithamendments,noneofwhichaffectthe

energy chapter. The current Kentucky Residential

Code is based on the 2006 IRC with several

amendments that affect the energy chapter. All

Heating, Ventilating and AirConditioning (HVAC)

systems are required to be inspected (including

commercial)andacertificateisrequiredtobeposted

on the electrical distribution panel listing important

building features that affect energy performance.

Unfortunately, the insulation requirements in the

residential code are slightly weakened. All local

governmentsarerequiredtoadoptthiscode,andnoothercode.TheDepartmentofBuildings,Housing,

andConstructionenforcesthecommercialcodeandtheBoardofHousingproposedallchangestothe

code.Kentuckyreviewsitscodeeverythreeyear.

Kentucky received a four (out of seven) on ACEEEs 2010 Energy Efficiency Scorecard in the energy

codescategory.Thestatereceivedathree(outoffive)forthestringencyofthecodeandaone(outof

two)forthestateofenforcement.Itisranked28thinthecountryandfifthintheSoutheast.Thestates

score on the stringency reveals the need to update the energy code. Although Kentucky is more

effective in enforcing the energy code than many other states in the Southeast, the score on

effectivenessofenforcementshowsthatthestatehasroomforimprovement.

Kentuckyisanetexporterofenergy,usingonly65percentoftheenergyproduced.Kentuckyisfifthin

thenationandsecond intheSoutheast intotalenergyproductionand isthethirdlargestproducerof

coalintheU.S.Despitebeingoneofthelargestenergyproducersinthecountry,Kentuckyisalsooneof

thebiggestconsumersinthecountry.Kentuckyhastheseventhhighestpercapitaconsumptioninthe

U.S.andthesecondhighest intheSoutheastbehindLouisiana. Instateswhereenergyproduction isa

very important sector of the economy energy efficiency is often seen as a threat to this industry. In

contrast, reducing energy consumption and lowering per capita energy consumption can have very

positive

effects

on

both

the

residents

of

Kentucky

as

well

as

the

energy

production

sector.

ThepercapitaincomeinKentuckyisbelowthenationalaverage,ranking47thintheU.S.withahigher

thanaveragepercentageofpeoplelivingbelowthepovertylevel.Energycodescansubstantiallyreduce

theamountofmoneythatlowincomehouseholdsspendonutilitybills.Lowincomehouseholdsspend

roughly1416percentof their incomeonenergy. Reducing theamountofenergyused inhomescan

greatlybenefittheseresidents.Inaddition,reducingenergyconsumptioninallsectorsenablesthestate


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Kentucky


ofKentuckytoexportevenmoreenergythanitdoescurrently,increasingthecapitalthatflowsinfrom

otherstates.




implement a plan to achieve 90 percent compliance with these codes by 2017. Kentucky Governor

StevenBeshearsentaletterofassurancetotheU.S.DOEstatingthatKentuckywouldupdateitsenergy

codetomeettheRecoveryActrequirements.

The requirements of receiving Recovery Act funding are not the only reason to improve Kentuckys

compliancewiththeenergycode.BCAPcalculatesthatifKentuckybeganimplementingthe2009 IECC

andStandard90.12007statewidein2011,businessesandhomeownerswouldsaveanestimated$28


Additionally, implementing the latestmodelcodeswouldhelpavoidabout 9.5 trillionBTUof primary




ClimateZone4A(Lexington) 336 18

DOE estimates an average per home energy savings of $336 or 18 percent in Kentucky which is

completely inclimate zone four. Inaddition,a BCAP analysisestimates that the average incremental

costofadoptingthe2009IECCinKentuckyisonly$2,254.31perhomewithasimplepaybackperiodof

6.71yearsandenergysavingstotaling$336perhomeannuallyacrossthestate.

AccordingtoasimilarstudyconductedbyDOE,ifKentuckyadoptsacommercialenergycodeequivalent

to ASHRAE Standard 90.12007, commercial buildingscan gain energy savings from 5.6 to 10 percent

and cost savings between 5.1 and 6.5 percent as shown in the chart above (excluding semiheated

commercial buildings). DOE defines nonresidential buildings as any mid rise commercial building,

residential buildings as high rise residential buildings and semiheated as commercial warehouses. A

commercial energy code will not only reduce energy use, but will increase the competitiveness of

businesses.



ClimateZone4A(Lexington) 5.6 5.1

ResidentialHighRise

ClimateZ

Documents

Southeast Regional Energy Codes Needs Assesment