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Best Practices for Codes and Voluntary Programs

The Challenge
Codes and voluntary programs - particularly those that pro-
mote “beyond-code” or “advanced building” energy effi-
ciency - are inextricably linked for several reasons:

Codes often provide the baseline for beyond-code vol-

untary programs. They set the standard for “code
plus” improvement efforts and provide a starting
point for designing such initiatives.

Voluntary programs often provide the incentive to

improve building energy efficiency (the “carrot,” so to
speak) vis-a-vis the requirement of mandatory codes
Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Credit—Jeremy Levine Designs
(the “stick”). Voluntary programs encourage the use
of efficient technologies that, when integrated into buildings, raise the bar on minimum codes.

Voluntary advanced efficiency programs are often used as mandatory ordinances and code implementation
tools by early adopter communities looking to advance more quickly than model codes allow.

Codes Provide the Baseline

Many advanced energy-efficiency and green building programs are built on a higher set of codes and standards (in
particular, the International Energy Conservation Code [IECC] and Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
[ASHRAE] 90.1). For example:

The US-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Homes program promotes construction to a level
15% more energy efficient (roughly equal to the 2006 IECC) than the baseline 2004 International Residential
Code requires.

The US-Department of Energy Building America Builder’s Challenge—incorporating numerous energy effi-
ciency and other building performance improvements over the baseline codes— promotes energy perform-
ance that is 30% better than the 2006 IECC.

On the commercial building side, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the LEED New Construction Pro-
gram (LEED-NC) require that buildings meet the ASHRAE 90.1 2004 standard. Points are awarded toward
meeting LEED performance goals for measures that are even more efficient, which are based on percentage
performance over that minimum standard.

OCEAN is an online resource of the Building Codes Assistance Project

BCAP 1850 M St. NW Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20036 | www.bcap-ocean.org
 Best Practices for Codes and Voluntary Programs
Voluntary Programs Provide the “Carrot”
The voluntary above-code programs for energy efficiency are numerous and serve an important purpose: promoting
better design and construction through superior techniques and technologies. As these improvements become bet-
ter accepted through the advanced programs, they tend to find their way into accepted building practice and, ulti-
mately, into minimum codes. For example, the Energy Star Homes and Building America Programs have long pro-
moted the advantages of whole-house air and duct sealing. Recently, they have been included the energy codes as
well. In addition, the recent development of the 2009 IECC included more stringent requirements for air and duct
sealing. This contributed heavily to the 12-14.6% improvement reported over the 2006 IECC.

Voluntary Programs can become Mandatory Codes

Many jurisdictions—as well as several states—have adopted elements of advanced codes in an effort to
address climate and other issues in their communities. There
is a movement to do better than the national model or state
energy codes, and the voluntary programs provide at least
some tools to do that. For example:

San Antonio recently adopted a “Sustainable Building Ordi-

nance” incorporating elements of several voluntary, advanced
programs as the advanced code, including LEED standards and
Energy Star.

Many Long Island, NY towns have adopted Energy Star

Homes as their minimum residential energy code.

The entire Adirondack region is currently promoting an ad-

Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, Credit vanced code based on LEED, Energy Star, and other programs
as part of their Adirondack Climate Action Program (ADCAP).

Resource Links
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GREENBUILDING/Basics.htm. Resources for green building provided by the city of San
Jose.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/alternatives/voluntary_rating_systems.cfm. US-Department of Energy re-
sources for better understanding the relationship between the codes and voluntary programs.
http://www.epa.gov/partners/programs/. Voluntary, partner-based energy and resource-efficiency programs from
the Environmental Protection Agency.
http://energy.dow.com/energy_plan/green_building.htm. DOW Energy’s perspective on voluntary programs.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/government/ww/gib_energy.html. Hewlett Packard’s perspectives on volun-
tary programs.
http://www.natresnet.org/Nevada/codes.htm. Information on Nevada’s use of Home Energy Rater Service (HERS).

OCEAN is an online resource of the Building Codes Assistance Project

For more information, please visit us at: www.bcap-ocean.org
A joint initiative of the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), the Natural Resources Defense

BCAP Council (NRDC), and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
1850 M St. NW Suite 600 | Washington, DC | www.bcap-ocean.org