About the Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working to improve the energy efficiency of the Nation's buildings through new technologies and better building practices. Energy-efficient buildings improve the lives of Americans by saving consumers money, lessening our demand for fossil fuels, decreasing the need for new power generation, and reducing environmental emissions.

DOE's Building Energy Codes Program is an information resource on national model energy codes. We work with other government agencies, state and local jurisdictions, national code organizations, and industry to promote stronger building energy codes and help states adopt, implement, and enforce those codes.

We are involved in five major areas to help improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings:

help develop improved national model energy codes
help DOE develop and promulgate improved Federal building energy codes
develop and distribute easy-to-use compliance tools and materials
provide financial and technical assistance to help states adopt, implement, and enforce building energy codes
collaborate with stakeholders to address industry needs and provide information on compliance products and training and energy code-related news

How We Do It

Strengthening energy codes increases the likelihood of energy and cost savings in new construction and renovations to existing buildings. New buildings can be designed to be both more comfortable and more efficient, cutting heating and cooling costs by close to 50%. The most cost-effective time to improve the envelope, equipment, and lighting efficiency of existing buildings is when those elements must be replaced or upgraded for new owners or tenants or due to normal wear and tear.

We work closely with the International Code Council (ICC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and other code user groups to develop more stringent and easier-to-understand building energy codes. These groups are identifying candidate energy-efficient technologies and practices and working to remove barriers to these technologies in the national model energy codes.

We use the results of our work in helping develop improved national model codes as a basis for developing and promulgating Federal energy codes. We also use the promulgation of Federal energy codes as a sounding board for improving model codes.

Direct financial and technical assistance is provided to states to promote the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of state and local building energy codes. We help states modify national model energy codes to meet state needs and develop state-specific code compliance software and training materials. We also provide code compliance training within states and analyze the energy and economic impact of state and local building codes. The results of these activities are then made available to other states and local governments.

We also develop and distribute compliance tools and materials that make it easier for designers, builders, product manufacturers, and code officials to comply with energy codes based on the IECC or ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 requirements. The REScheck™ (formerly MECcheck) and COMcheck™ compliance products include software and accompanying user's guides, videos, training materials, and compliance manuals.

Our outreach and deployment activities are essential to achieving code compliance and resulting energy savings. Outreach activities notify stakeholders about developments in energy codes, available compliance products and training, and other energy-related news.

The Building Energy Codes Website is a major source of communication and information exchange on building energy codes, where users can download the compliance software and training materials free.
The Energy Codes Technical Support staff answer questions, provide information and technical assistance on building energy codes, and connect inquirers to other resources.
In addition to distributing training videos and CDs, we sponsor workshops and training events.
The Setting the Standard newsletter encourages information exchange among building professionals and organizations, state and local code officials, researchers, and designers.
On request, the Program provides direct technical assistance to states and local jurisdictions to help them adopt, implement, and enforce building energy codes. The program helps states modify national model energy codes to meet state needs and develop state-specific code compliance software and training materials. It also provides code compliance training within states and analyzes the energy and economic impact of state and local building codes.

Is It Working?

DOE's $45 million investment in the Building Energy Codes Program is estimated to currently generate energy cost savings of more than $2.5 billion per year. Since the inception of the Program in 1990, accumulated energy savings has been more than 1.5 quads and cost savings to consumers has been more than $14 billion. These savings have resulted primarily from the Program's activities that accelerate the adoption of building energy codes by states and local jurisdictions and that improve code compliance by means of various software tools and other types of training. These estimated savings are for commercial buildings only as increases in the stringency of model residential codes have, until recently, been modest. Given recent significant changes to the residential codes, future analysis will include impacts in the residential sector.

In FY 2008, DOE's Building Energy Codes Program efforts enhanced energy efficiency in buildings nationwide. The BECP FY 2008 annual report – "Enhancing Energy Efficiency Nationwide" – and the BECP FY 2008 Program brochure provide an overview of these efforts.

Hear From Our Users

Who Benefits?

Designers, builders, product manufacturers, and state and local jurisdictions benefit from the Program's active involvement in codes and standards development, compliance and training tool development, outreach and deployment, and technical assistance to states by making it easier to adopt, implement, and enforce more stringent, progressive energy codes.

When adopted, implemented, and enforced, stronger energy codes mean more energy-efficient buildings. For consumers, conserving energy through energy-efficient buildings means lower energy bills. For the environment and our Nation, conserving energy lowers our demand for fossil fuels and our dependence on imported energy, decreases our need for new power generation, and reduces pollution.

Contacts

Jean Boulin
Program Manager
U. S. Department of Energy
Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
EE-2K / Forrestal Building
Washington, DC 20585-0121
202-586-9870
email:Jean.Boulin@ee.doe.gov