Compliance Toolkit

This toolkit describes the steps that should be taken by the build community to make sure that their buildings meet the requirements of the energy codes in effect where the buildings are being built and that the building designs are well documented so that the enforcement community can quickly and easily determine if the building meets the requirement of the energy code.

Current national model energy codes and standards are limited to the design and construction of buildings. The operation and maintenance of the building—however important that might be to the overall energy usage of the building—is not considered in current national model energy codes and standards.

Future model energy codes and standards may involve actual building energy usage and will therefore likely require consideration of commissioning for all buildings, operation and maintenance, and occupant behavior.

This toolkit is focused on the codes and standards called out in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). For the residential build community, ARRA requires states to meet or exceed the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings to qualify to receive federal funding. For the commercial build community, states must meet or exceed ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 (ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007) or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings to qualify to receive federal funding. The 2009 IECC contains two options for commercial buildings: (1) ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 by reference, or (2) a set of requirements directly in the IECC. The commercial requirements in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 and the 2009 IECC are similar but not identical; this toolkit will discuss some of those differences.

Both ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 and the 2009 IECC have been superseded by newer versions that require higher levels of energy efficiency. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 was published in August 2010, and the 2012 IECC was published in May 2011. This toolkit also addresses compliance issues that may arise in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 and the 2012 IECC.

Organization of the Compliance Toolkit

This toolkit is organized around ten important steps for achieving compliance. These steps are:

1. Know which energy code is applicable to a particular project
2. Choose a compliance path within the applicable energy code
3. Know the requirements of the applicable energy code
4. Design a building to meet the requirements of the applicable energy code
5. Document the design of the building in plans and specifications
6. Construct the building to meet plans and specifications
7. Document the "as-built" building in plans and specifications
8. Ensure the building operates as intended by the build community
9. Provide energy code compliance documentation to the code official and building owners
10. Get assistance on energy code and compliance questions.

Each step in this toolkit provides a general description, discussion of the issues faced by the build community, and a listing of resources for the build community.