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Codes & Standards
Over-used statistic – buildings account for almost 50% of all energy use.
(factories/transp)
Codes and standards are the regulatory complement to voluntary incentive
programs and individual actions.
Needed because most people won’t do anything and/or don’t know how to do
it.
Even with cash incentives voluntary participation is usually small.
Not sexy but the impacts are huge – 45% of the 20-year potential energy
savings in Power Plan are C&S
What’s a building code?
Worst building you can build without being thrown in jail.
What does it cover and what doesn’t it cover?
o Only new const. Not post-occupancy/unregulated loads.
How are codes adopted? (Great student project—submit proposals!!)
All public processes. Submit proposals, defend, committee votes, new code
comes out.
Re-done every 3 years.
What’s an appliance and equipment standard?
It’s for manufacturing, not for use
Adoption process (harder to participate in this one)
Current policy situation
Codes and standards are one of the hottest energy topics in the country.
Where codes fit in traditionally – following the market, the s-curve
But for the moment they’re driving the market through legislation.
Why? My theory:
Climate change concerns lead to ridiculous policy goals for emission
reductions
Then they figured out it’s about energy
Not many levers to pull
Problem: You can’t magically move the market. Compliance falls and you get
nothing.
But if you want to meet climate change goals, you’ll need regulation.
o Also need to get to existing buildings. Right now there’s nothing. Huge
barrier.
Do you want to save energy/save the planet or do you want to be sexy?
Zero net energy buildings are all the rage.
Define zero net energy.
Why zero energy buildings are dumb.
o Trying to solve the big societal problem or feed people’s egos?
o Are individual buildings the right scale?
o Why use renewables?
Green building/sustainability vs. energy efficiency.
Energy matters. Water matters. The rest is much less important.
Same with reduce/re-use/recycle