Simpler Energy Codes Coming?

DOE Aims for Simpler Energy Code, Journal of Light Construction, March 2004, discusses efforts by the US Department of Energy to encourage simplification of the International Code Council's International Energy Code. According to the article, the proposed changes are intended to be "result-neutral", in that they will not increase or decrease baseline energy use requirements from the current version of the Energy code. But they will "drastically simplify" the code's prescriptive and performance based requirements. The article paraphrases DOE sentiments as "A strict energy code accomplishes little if it's too complicated to understand or enforce."

Some of the proposed changes include:

• Reduction in the number of US climate zones
• Simplification of climate zone boundaries by running boundaries along state lines where possible
• Elimination of window area restrictions
• Elimination of window-to-wall restrictions
• Allowance for building element tradeoffs that meet or exceed prescriptive requirements

The deadline for final public comments is April 2004.

More Information
DOE: Building Energy Codes - 2004 DOE ICC Code Proposals