Publications

This document presents a methodology for assessing baseline energy efficiency in new single-family residential buildings and quantifying related savings potential.

Beginning in 2014, the U.S. Department Energy (DOE) funded a series of multi-year residential energy code field studies to explore energy savings opportunities from enhanced code compliance. This report presents the final results across the three phases to assess whether the education and training activities successfully improved code compliance to achieve significant changes in energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Texas field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Pennsylvania field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the North Carolina field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Maryland field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Kentucky field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Georgia field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

The purpose of this report is to document findings and final results from the Alabama field study, including a summary of key trends observed in the field, their impact on energy efficiency, and whether the selected education and training activities resulted in a measurable change in statewide energy use.

2022 NECC Presentation

Summary of the full technical brief which provides requirements for demand-responsive thermostats and water heaters that could be incorporated into model residential energy codes. It provides background on the benefits of these devices, impacts on the cost of construction, and model code language that can be plugged into the IECC or adapted into other energy codes.

2021 NECC Presentation

Described separately from the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study, this report is a simultaneous study of building air tightness occurred using several of the main study buildings and additional sites that met the building type criteria. Overall, 26 sites were evaluated this way using semi-automated testing equipment (blower doors).
 

Final report of the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study to validate the impact of building energy codes in low-rise multifamily buildings and identify opportunities for increased energy that can be addressed through workforce education & training programs. Results include both characteristics summaries (by state) and an analysis of the opportunities associated with increased code compliance on building energy use in the different climate zones. As well, the process of collecting and processing building data so that these estimates can be prepared is described in detail, with the intent that others could employ this process in future studies. This report also includes a market research component that describes interviews with key actors in the multifamily sector (building designers, developers, and builders) that focuses on various aspects of the code, including specific code details relevant to code education and training, and overall energy performance.

Field study data supporting the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study to validate the impact of building energy codes in low-rise multifamily buildings and identify opportunities for increased energy that can be addressed through workforce education & training programs. This zip file contains individual documents listed below)

• Data Dictionary
• Entity Relationship Diagram
• Generic Read Me
• Illinois Summary Dataset
• Minnesota Summary Dataset
• Oregon Summary Dataset
• Washington Summary Dataset

Presentation slides from the 2019 National Energy Codes Conference that provided an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Codes residential field study Phase III data collection and findings.

A research project in the state of Tennessee identified opportunities to reduce homeowner utility bills in residential single-family new construction by increasing compliance with the state energy code.  The study was initiated in September 2017 and continued through July 2018.  Analysis of the data has led to a better understanding of the energy features present in homes and indicates over $2.5 million in potential annual savings to Tennessee homeowners that could result from increased code compliance.

A research project in the state of Oregon identified opportunities to reduce homeowner utility bills in residential single-family new construction by increasing compliance with the state energy code. The study was initiated in November 2019; data collection began in November 2019 and continued through February 2020. Analysis of the data has led to a better understanding of the energy features present in homes and identified over $600,000 in potential annual savings to Oregon homeowners that could result from increased compliance with the 2017 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (2017 ORSC).

A research project in the Commonwealth of Virginia identified opportunities to reduce homeowner utility bills in residential single-family new construction by increasing compliance with the state energy code. The study was initiated in August 2017 and continued through May 2018. During this period, research teams visited 138 homes during various stages of construction, resulting in a substantial data set based on observations made directly in the field.

This is the data collected for states using DOE's Residential Field Study Methodology, but not part of DOE's Residential Field Study.  Data is currently available for ID, IL, MO, MT, NE, VA, and WV but additional data will be added as other states use the methodology.  

This guide provides information for anyone dealing with a lighting energy code or standard. It provides background and development information to help readers understand the basis for requirements and their intent. The guide also provides detailed explanations of the major types of requirements such that users can more effectively design to meet compliance while applying the most flexibility possible.

This guide provides an aid that will make it easier to apply the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control requirements found in building energy codes and addresses requirements defined by 2009 and 2012 editions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010.

This guide includes practical plan review and inspection resources, including the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program's REScheck™ and COMcheck™ quick reference guides, case studies, and sample inspection checklists; as well as excerpts from International Code Council's commentaries, workbooks, and code companion materials.

This collection also includes many other helpful items and points to further resources available on the web. Residential and commercial building officials can easily add state and local guidance in order to use this binder as a one-stop resource to support compliance in the field.

This guide is a resource for understanding the air leakage requirements in the 2012 IECC and suggestions on how these measures can be met. It also provides information from Building America’s Air Sealing Guide, best Practices and case studies on homes that are currently meeting the provisions. The 2012 IECC and a few International Residential Code requirements are referenced throughout the guide.