United States Energy Building Codes

The United States building codes related to energy are energy codes and standards that set minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction for new and renovated buildings that impact energy use and emissions for the life of the building. Buildings account for 39% of United States energy use, two-thirds of electricity, and one-eighth of water. With buildings being such a main source of energy usage in the United States, along with the surrounding issues associated with high energy usage it is imperative that buildings abide by codes to ensure efficiency. Using more efficient methods and materials upfront when constructing the buildings will help to cut down on energy usage. There are building energy codes for both commercial and residential buildings.

In the USA the main codes are the International Commercial or Residential Code [ICC/IRC], electrical codes and plumbing, mechanical codes. Fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted the I-Codes at the state or jurisdictional level.

New building code initiatives can sometimes be controversial and generate debate about the costs versus the benefits. In 2009, the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) was updated to include a requirement of sprinklers in all new one- and two-family residences, including townhouses, which generated a varied response by states which can choose whether to adopt the update. As of 2010, several states had declined to update their codes, with California and Pennsylvania as the two who adopted the change.

There are 3 different kinds of building codes: private sector, federal sector, and international. The private sector codes are associated with state and local jurisdiction. States and local jurisdictions have different energy codes that they follow based on climate, geography, and many other contributing factors. The two primary baseline codes for the private sector are the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 energy standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (ASHRAE 90.1). States and local governments adopt and enforce these energy codes. The standards are published by national organizations such as ASHRAE. The International Code Council (ICC) develops the codes and standards used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Within the ICC is the IECC which is a subset of the ICC. The IECC is a model energy code, but it is written in mandatory, enforceable language, so that state and local jurisdictions can easily adopt the model as their energy code. The IECC references several ASHRAE Standards, in particular the ASHRAE 90.1 for commercial building construction.

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