by Brianna Crandall — December 20, 2010—The Department of Energy (DOE) announced December 17 that it has selected 24 states to receive a total of $7 million to support the adoption of updated, energy-efficient building codes. DOE says the funding will expand the existing partnerships between states and the federal government and help states to more rapidly adopt new residential and commercial building codes, as well increase compliance with those codes.
This technical assistance through DOE’s Building Energy Codes program is being funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will provide the selected states with up to $350,000 in technical assistance that include activities such as code training for the building community and adoption outreach to policy makers. Each state has committed to work with DOE to advance adoption, training and compliance for the updated building codes.
DOE’s goal through the Recovery Act is 90 percent compliance with energy code requirements for each state by 2017. The Recovery Act specifically references two target building codes for states to adopt: Standard 90.1-2007 and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (2009 IECC), which collectively address residential and commercial buildings. Overall, the codes outline a multitude of energy efficiency measures related to the building envelope, HVAC systems, service water heating, power and lighting.
