There has been a great deal of interest since the 2009 building code cycle in the requirements for building envelope energy efficiency. Anyone who has been watching the evening news on television, reading the newspapers or browsing the internet has seen countless news stories touting various green building techniques that can be used to reduce one’s “carbon footprint.”
The federal government, in an effort to wean U.S. consumers from reliance on foreign oil, has been actively pursuing a change in the culture to be more conservative with energy resources. Tax credits abound for those who purchase more energy efficient upgrades for their homes. Insulation, high efficiency windows and doors, heating and cooling equipment and caulking are just some of the purchases that qualify. Credits for hybrid vehicles and the “cash for clunkers” program are some of the government incentives meant to spur Americans into saving energy and to jumpstart the economy.
Of all these programs, the one that may have the greatest long-term effect is the mandate to increase energy efficiency standards used in the building codes. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009 established the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) as the residential standard benchmark against which future standards will be evaluated. The Act also provided funding for states that adopted the 2009 IECC or equivalent and mandated the 2012 edition to produce a 30% increase in nationwide overall energy savings over the requirements of the 2006 edition. This increases to 50% for the 2015 edition with an incremental savings target of 5% in each subsequent edition of the IECC after 50% target is reached.
One of the easiest ways to accomplish these energy saving goals is to increase the energy efficiency requirements of the building envelope. This Research Report will address the requirements of the 2009, 2012 and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and IECC as they impact ceiling insulation and truss heel heights.
The federal government, in an effort to wean U.S. consumers from reliance on foreign oil, has been actively pursuing a change in the culture to be more conservative with energy resources. Tax credits abound for those who purchase more energy efficient upgrades for their homes. Insulation, high efficiency windows and doors, heating and cooling equipment and caulking are just some of the purchases that qualify. Credits for hybrid vehicles and the “cash for clunkers” program are some of the government incentives meant to spur Americans into saving energy and to jumpstart the economy.
Of all these programs, the one that may have the greatest long-term effect is the mandate to increase energy efficiency standards used in the building codes. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009 established the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) as the residential standard benchmark against which future standards will be evaluated. The Act also provided funding for states that adopted the 2009 IECC or equivalent and mandated the 2012 edition to produce a 30% increase in nationwide overall energy savings over the requirements of the 2006 edition. This increases to 50% for the 2015 edition with an incremental savings target of 5% in each subsequent edition of the IECC after 50% target is reached.
One of the easiest ways to accomplish these energy saving goals is to increase the energy efficiency requirements of the building envelope. This Research Report will address the requirements of the 2009, 2012 and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and IECC as they impact ceiling insulation and truss heel heights.
This legacy SBCA Research Report represents information and code requirements current as of the publication date shown. However, codes and standards change periodically. The user is encouraged to verify the referenced information is still current and conforms to current code requirements.
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