Code, Other Governmental Officials Substantially Improve Provisions of International Energy Conservation Code, But Fail to Meet Goal of 30 Percent Boost in Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency will substantially improve in the nation’s 2009 model energy code governing new home construction - the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) -, but will not achieve the 30 percent improvement sought by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of State Energy Officials, many governors and the broad-based Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC). But after two decades of only modest energy efficiency gains, it’s clear that a growing number of building officials are embracing the need for much higher energy efficiency in our codes for new home construction, the EECC noted.

U.S. Conference of Mayors encourages eligible code officials to support broad-based group’s proposed historic boost in nation’s model residential energy code.

If mayors get their way, municipal building code officials will vote to substantially boost energy efficiency in the 2009 version of America’s model energy code, the International Energy Conservation Code, or IECC. The IECC is amended every three years and is the model energy code recognized by federal law.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors today unanimously adopted a resolution in support of “The 30% Solution,” a comprehensive package of achievable and affordable energy-efficiency proposals from the broad-based Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC) that use proven, readily available, “state-of-the-shelf” technologies.

Hundreds of thousands of utility customers are at risk of disconnections as the sagging economy drives up the number of past-due home heating bills and the amounts owed, utility companies in cold-weather states say.

Xcel Energy says 17%-19% of its 1.1 million Minnesota customers and its 280,000 Wisconsin customers are in arrears. That's about the same as a year ago, but balances owed are up 10% in Minnesota and up 20% in Wisconsin, says Pat Boland, Xcel's credit policy manager.

Xcel disconnects 600-650 customers daily, he says. "Obviously the economy is playing a very big role in the disposable income that folks have," Boland says. Another factor: Cold weather added 7%-8% to this year's bills.

America’s “Most Significant Energy & Environment Policy Vote of 2008”

— Echoing a unanimous resolution passed in June by the US Conference of Mayors, the Energy Efficiency Codes Coalition (EEEC) today urged local Minnesota cities to send their maximum allowable voting delegation of building code officials to this September’s International Code Council (ICC) Annual Meeting in Minneapolis to help win adoption of “The 30% Solution.”

“The 30% Solution” is a comprehensive set of proposals by the EECC that employs a variety of affordable, everyday steps – like installing efficient lighting, windows and higher levels of insulation – to boost the model energy efficiency code for new home construction by 30 percent. EEEC’s broad-based support comes from some of America’s top energy-efficiency advocates from government, utilities, environmental groups, academia, energy consumers and businesses.

Small Businesses Are Among Those That Benefit

A housing industry expert told lawmakers yesterday that while home builders are suffering from the nation's current economic downturn and housing crisis, hope may be at hand in the form of energy efficient construction and green building.
Michael Hodgson, the owner of consulting firm ConSol, who testified (pdf) on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders before the House Small Business Committee, noted that small businesses dominate the home building industry. Sixty percent of the association's members build fewer than 25 homes per year and nearly 90 percent have less than $5 million in annual receipts, he said.