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Effective Residential Compliance Techniques
Builders and Designers
THE CHALLENGE: Ensuring energy code compliance is
efficiently incorporated throughout the entire building
life cycle, from design to building and even during
renovation.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES: The residential construction
community plays a pivotal role in determining the energy
efficiency of buildings. Design professionals as well as
builders must take into consideration two critical issues:
Incorporating energy code and efficiency issues in the
upfront planning and design effort;
Preparing, organizing and presenting proper documentation.
To accomplish these goals, designate a central point of compliance responsibility. As part of the project planning
process, clearly carve out responsibility for code compliance. That individual can manage compliance for all the ap‐
plicable codes for the structure. By doing this, the CEO can conduct one integrated review and field check of all im‐
portant details, coordinating with a single point of contact for sign‐off. Sub‐contractors should also be involved, or at
least notified of their responsibilities in the process to facilitate co‐ordination.
To ensure the compliance process goes smoothly, designers and builders should act in close cooperation with Code
Enforcement Officials (CEOs) . For their part, CEOs should insist that all design elements be considered before com‐
pliance documents are even submitted. This will help avoid costly time delays resulting from design or construction
changes and subsequent requests for further compliance information.
GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS:
Start early. Paying careful attention to energy codes from the earliest possible point ensures requirements are effi‐
ciently incorporated into the design and construction planning. At the outset of each project, designers and builders
should consider the impact of energy codes on issues such as:
Air Sealing
Insulation
Get your house in order. All code compliance requires supporting documentation that should be gathered and sub‐
mitted, including:
Efficiency labels and guides
Data on plans and drawings
Sample Residential Compliance Techniques
Resources
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/systems_engineering.html Resources for providing
energy efficient construction, including the US Department of Energy Building America program. The climate‐
specific area of the site may be of particular interest.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/challenge/builders.html US Department of Energy Building America
Builders Challenge.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/challenge/ Building America’s Builders Challenge for high‐performance
homebuilders.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.hm_index US Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star
Home program for high‐performance builders.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/research_teams.html Building America Research
Teams
http://www.codecollegenetwork.com/co/ene_codes.html Colorado Code College
http://www.iccsafe.org/Pages/default.aspx Copies of the IECC can be found on the organization’s website.
http://www.energycodes.gov/ Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program
Code Compliance Guides
Look or ask for these kinds of materials in your state or jurisdiction to aid in providing guidance for energy code
compliance. Guides like these might also be developed by Homebuilders Associations or AIA chapters for the use of
their constituents.
The BCAP 2006 IECC Prescriptive Compliance Poster
Compliance Guides that may be developed by states or jurisdictions and provide guidance to permit ap‐
plicants.
Vermont’s Compliance Guide is an example. The Guide can be a useful tool for code officials, and may be
provided to permit applicants for reference.
Sample Compliance Forms and Worksheets
These are the types of materials that might be provided in your jurisdiction for permit applicants to ensure energy
code compliance. Make sure you ask for these materials, and include them on plans or otherwise in compliance sub‐
mittals.