The Building Energy Codes Program supports the development and implementation of residential and commercial building energy codes by engaging with gov
July 5, 2017
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The Building Technologies Office’s Building Energy Codes Program supports the development and implementation of residential and commercial building energy codes by engaging with government and industry stakeholders and by providing technical assistance for code development, adoption, and compliance. A crucial component in this work is the technical analysis and support performed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Recently, the team leading this work was awarded the 2017 International Code Council and Institute for Market Transformation’s National Leadership in Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Award.
The award recognizes PNNL’s significant contributions to energy conservation and sustainability in the built environment through their technologies and concepts that improve the energy efficiency of commercial and residential buildings. PNNL works on building energy research and analysis with staff members across a variety of backgrounds – engineering, economics, applied building science, and whole-building energy modeling – to support the development and implementation of building energy codes.
“We’re proud to see PNNL get recognized for their work supporting the development and analysis of code changes on building energy efficiency and cost savings,” said David Nemtzow, Building Technologies Office director. “Building energy codes represent a significant savings opportunity for U.S. homes and businesses – potentially saving $126 billion in energy cost savings and 12.82 quads of energy between 2010 and 2040. PNNL’s work is helping states and localities understand the costs and benefits for their specific location in moving to more energy efficient model building codes.”
David Cohan, Building Energy Codes program manager, agreed. “I’m glad to see PNNL recognized for their terrific work. This award acknowledges the leadership from the team at PNNL in setting the standard in excellence.” The team at PNNL is one of two groups that will be honored formally at the International Codes Council Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, in September.
“PNNL is pleased to have its dedicated years of hard work recognized by IMT/ICC. This award is a tribute to the strong collaboration that exists between PNNL and DOE,” said Bing Liu, program manager who leads the PNNL codes team.
The most recent energy codes result in new buildings that use 30% less energy than those built to the codes that were in place less than 10 years ago.1 Beyond just lowering a building’s energy use, building codes also substantially reduce consumer utility costs over the lifespan of buildings. Energy codes present a unique opportunity to assure savings over the life of a building through more energy-efficient systems, technologies and construction practices.
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1 Livingston, O.V.; Cole, P.C.; Elliott, D.B.; Bartlett, R. Building Energy Codes Program: National Benefits Assessment, 1992-2040. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2014. Accessed August 22, 2014: http://www.energycodes.gov/sites/default/files/documents/BenefitsReport_Final_March20142.pdf.