by Jbs121109 h3 — December 14, 2009—A coalition of organizations noted for their broad leadership role in national energy efficiency policy have developed an a target=”_blank” href=”http://ase.org/content/news/detail/6290″>explanatory statement for state and local governments to clarify the intent of Section 410 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and to offer assistance as states and localities adopt, provide training on, and enforce advanced building energy efficiency codes.
By accepting State Energy Program funding and submitting letters assuring the Department of Energy that their states would comply with the terms of Section 410, the coalition says that all 50 states have committed to do three things:
- Adopt a residential building energy code that meets or exceeds the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC);
- Adopt a commercial building energy code that meets or exceeds the ANSI/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007; and
- Develop and implement a plan, including active training and enforcement provisions, to achieve 90 percent compliance with the target codes by 2017, including measuring current compliance each year.
Most states have a long way to go for compliance, says the coalition. ARRA requires state plans to be designed to achieve 90 percent compliance with codes by 2017 and to make annual compliance progress assessments. The February 2010 anniversary of ARRA marks the Act’s first compliance deadline, so the coalition urges states to begin the process as soon as possible.
The coalition includes such groups as the Alliance to Save Energy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, International Code Council, and U.S. Green Building Council.
