State Technical Assistance
DOE provides technical assistance to help states and local code enforcement jurisdictions adopt, upgrade, implement, and enforce their residential and commercial building energy codes. This assistance is provided explicitly through the DOE Building Energy Codes Program and does not support direct funding to states or municipalities. Technical assistance may take the form of
- Analysis of energy savings and cost impacts associated with code adoption
- Comparative analysis of future code options
- Potential modification of model code language
- Customized educational materials
- Web-based or in-person training programs
- Compliance resources and software tools.
Funding to provide no-cost technical assistance is limited. In assessing each request, DOE may consider the following issues:
- Potential impact of the proposed assistance
- Reach based on current practices and construction starts
- Consistency with DOE adoption and compliance goals.
Technical assistance requests submitting by states may be prioritized over those requested by localities. All formal state-level technical assistance requests must be made using the Technical Assistance Form.
Updates to REScheck and COMcheck Building Energy Code Compliance Software
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is directed to provide technical assistance to states to support the implementation of model residential and commercial building energy codes (42 USC 6833). As part of this assistance, the DOE Building Energy Codes Program provides ongoing support for REScheck and COMcheck compliance software, which are updated based on new editions of the model codes. DOE has published guidance surrounding its support for the software, including technical assistance requests for modified versions.
State Energy Program
The DOE State Energy Program (SEP) provides grants to the states to design and carry out their own energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.