BCAP Updates

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The Building Codes Assistance Project releases regular updates on building energy codes through its quarterly BCAP Newsletter and weekly Code Alert Bulletin.

BCAP Newsletters are quarterly summaries of what's been happening at the Building Codes Assistance Project and building energy code progress around the nation. To access the full archive, click here.

BCAP Code Alert Bulletins are released weekly by the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) and its website, the Online Code Environment & Advocacy Network (OCEAN). Code Alert Bulletins are designed to share information and support timely participation in state and local activities related to the adoption and implementation of building energy codes. The bulletins highlight immediate opportunities to influence state and local policy outcomes, indicate code status, and recommend contacts for action. If you know of activity that should be on this bulletin or would like to sign up for this bujlletin, contact Matt Kerns at (202) 530-2252 or mkerns@ase.org.

Some of the content featured in recent newletters and bulletins includes:

NASEO Webinar on Strategies for Increasing Building Energy Code Compliance 

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) is hosting a webinar to highlight approaches for achieving higher levels of code compliance while also recognizing the potential impact of compliance strategies on already strained and limited state and local resources.

The webinar will include two presentations from State Energy Office staff. Marilyn Kaplan, Project Manager at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will present on NYSERDA’s recent and ongoing compliance survey efforts. Jennifer Wilson, State Energy Program Manager at the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), will highlight the results of a recent report, “Building Department Pilot Study: Guidance on Effective Enforcement of Georgia’s Energy Code.” The report examines building energy code enforcement practices from two jurisdictions in Georgia and identifies best practices related to building energy code compliance, including implementation of the blower door and duct tightness testing requirements of the Georgia code (2009 IECC plus amendments).

For more information, visit the Webinar Registration page or NASEO home page. Contact Chris Wagner of NASEO at cwagner@naseo.org with any questions.

Town of Vail Adopts the 2012 IECC

The town of Vail, Colorado adopted the 2012 IECC with an effective date of January 2013. Vail, which updates its building codes every three years, help public hearings monthly over the last nine months reviewing the changes from the previously adopted building codes and possible amendments to 2012 IECC. Vail’s Building and Fire Appeals Board, who hosted the hearings, added provisions to the code that address construction practices unique to the community.

If interested in more information, contact Jim Meyers at SWEEP at jmeyers@swenergy.org.

SWEEP Releases Report on Utility Energy Efficiency Best Practices

The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) released the report, The $20 Billion Bonanza: Best Practice Electric Utility Energy Efficiency Programs and their Benefits for the Southwest, acknowledging the efforts of the region's utilities over the past decade and heralding the potential for growing success over the next decade. ACEEE was a contributing author on the report and worked with SWEEP to analyze a comprehensive set of eighteen best practice electric utility energy efficiency programs for each of the Southwest states' residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The programs include low-income weatherization, incentives for efficient consumer products, custom retrofits for large businesses, and combined heat and power, to name a few. The report also outlines critical design elements that will allow these programs to reach more customers and savings, such as innovative and effective marketing techniques, financial incentives, and behavioral approaches.

For more Information: OCEAN Story Link | Full Report | Blog Summary