Nationwide Energy Efficient Building Codes by 2010

Building energy efficiency advocates have high hopes that the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009 will be the first law to mandate more energy-efficient building codes. Section 201 of the proposed legislation calls for a 30 percent increase in energy efficiency for residential buildings within just one year of enactment, using the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a baseline. This would be followed by an increase to 50 percent by 2014, and an additional 5 percent increase every three years until 2029. Commercial buildings follow a similar pattern, using the American Society of Heating, refrigerating and air-conditioning engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1-2004 as the baseline.

Code enforcement, however, is where such federal provisions move into unprecedented territory. Code development is typically handled by code-setting organizations like the International Code Council (ICC) or ASHRAE, who develop model building codes through an open forum process. States, counties and even local municipalities then adopt versions of the model codes entirely at their own discretion, and often with region-specific amendments. One look at a map published by the Building Codes Assistance Project, and you will see the wide variation in energy codes across the nation.

Under the ACES, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is charged with the task of working alongside code-setting organizations to draft a new national energy code that meets the aggressive reductions outlined in the bill. States would be required to adopt the national energy code or demonstrate that their own local codes meet an equivalent level of energy-efficiency within one year of the completion of the national code. The bill takes this a step further by mandating that states demonstrate to the DOE that new buildings are code compliant and the state is properly enforcing the code.

Tightening the nation’s building energy codes has long been a goal of numerous environmental groups and energy-efficiency advocates, such as the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition, the Alliance to Save Energy, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and countless others. With buildings accounting for more than one-third of national energy use and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and with energy-saving technologies like structural insulated panels (SIPs) readily available, mandatory energy-efficiency measures are low hanging fruit in the fight against climate change.

Opponents of more energy-efficient building codes have been largely successful in blocking such code changes in private code-setting organizations by claiming they would increase the cost of construction, hurt an already reeling housing market, and make housing unaffordable for the average homeowner. But serious reductions like those proposed by Congress offer homeowners significant savings on energy over the life of the home that can outweigh any incremental up front costs. It is up to the DOE to determine how these energy reductions will be met and how it can be done cost-effectively for homeowners.

Most likely, building envelope improvements will be part of new energy code. Research has shown that in many climates building envelope improvements are an extremely cost-efficient way to reduce energy use. One DOE project currently underway is seeking to determine the best and most cost-effective building envelope technologies by building four identical homes in Lenoir City, TN. SIPs are one of the systems under examination in the ZEBR Alliance Project, which is a collaborative of the DOE-funded Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other private organizations devoted to building energy-efficient homes on par with the proposed new energy codes in the ACES.

Building code improvement is only a small part of the many energy and climate change initiatives in the ACES. You can read a complete summary of bill from the Alliance to Save Energy and follow its progress through Congress.

SIPA offers evaluation report for SIP manufacturers

The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) finalized an industry-wide evaluation report that will streamline building code acceptance for manufacturers of energy-efficient structural insulated panels (SIPs). The report will provide SIP manufacturers with independent third-party structural testing, quality control, and other data required for compliance with building codes.

Currently, individual SIP manufacturers develop and maintain proprietary evaluation reports that contain structural load tables, fire code compliance, quality control guidelines, and other product application information. Code officials can reference these reports, available to the public, when evaluating new construction projects.

The new industry-wide evaluation report will be owned and operated by SIPA. Association members will have the option of using the SIPA evaluation report and manufacturing products that meet the structural requirements and other specifications in the report.

According to SIPA Executive Director Bill Wachtler, having the same product specifications among many SIPA member manufacturers will simplify code approvals for participating members.

“SIPs have been considered an alternative construction technology for some time and this has caused issues in the code approval process,” said Wachtler. “The shared evaluation report will consolidate many manufacturers currently producing under different evaluation reports onto a single report with excellent quality assurance and clear product specifications.”

Manufacturers listed on the SIPA report must produce SIPs that meet the required structural performance in the report. Participating members will also be subject to a standardized quality assurance program provided by third-party certification agency NTA, Inc., who developed the evaluation report. NTA, Inc. is a Nappanee, IN-based testing agency that specializes in product certification and testing for the modular and manufactured home industries.

“Quality control is an essential element of the shared report,” said Wachtler. “The rigorous quality assurance program administered by NTA will bring uniform quality assurance standards to the SIP industry and further SIPA’s commitment to quality SIP production.”

Standardized product specifications also make it easier for architects and engineers to incorporate SIPs into their designs. Instead of dealing with multiple sets of structural performance data from different manufacturers, design professionals can reference the single evaluation report that covers products from many SIPA member manufacturers across the U.S. and Canada.

“I see the report as a huge benefit for designers,” said Damian Pataluna, President of Louisville, KY-based SIP manufacturer FischerSIPS and a SIPA Board member. “Narrowing multiple manufacturers down to one uniform set of load tables will make much it easier for designers and architects to engineer buildings using a consistent set of data.”

Wachtler noted that part of SIPA’s motivation in offering a shared report was to reduce the cost of code compliance for its members. As a requirement for association membership, SIP manufacturers must provide evidence of code compliance and have an ongoing contract with a certified quality assurance provider. The cost of the evaluation report, its maintenance, and future product testing is shared by the SIP manufacturers using the report.

Changes and improvements to structural insulated panel technology will likewise be shared across the industry through the evaluation report.

“Because we are all working together as one large group it will be more cost-effective to get new products added to the evaluation report,” said Pataluna. “Alternative panel skins and cores instantly become available to all SIPA members listed on the SIPA evaluation report. In turn, these products will also be made available to consumers on a faster basis.”
SIPA’s shared evaluation report is currently available to SIPA members. Interested SIP manufacturers are encouraged to contact Mary Jane Hominda at maryjane@sips.org or call253-858-7472.

Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) is a non-profit association representing manufacturers, suppliers, dealer/distributors, design professionals, and builders committed to providing quality structural insulated panels for all segments of the construction industry.

SIPS saves 60% on HVAC

A growing building technique – structural insulated panels (SIPs) – is helping Americans reduce home energy use. Compared to traditional “stickbuilt” construction, SIPs save homeowners up to 60% on monthly utility bills.

According to Premier Building Systems, North America’s largest SIPs manufacturer: SIPs are large, pre-made wall, roof or floor sections using high-strength wood panels sandwiching a rigid insulating foam core. They replace the wall studs and fiberglass rolls or blown-in insulation builders typically use. Because SIPs come in large sections up to 8 ft. by 24 ft., they have fewer gaps needing sealing.

“A SIP house has fewer joints, less complicated interfaces between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, and it is dramatically easier to make it tight,” says Sam Rashkin, National Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star for Homes program. In tests using large blowers, the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (USDOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that rooms built with SIPs have 90 percent less air leakage than typical rooms.

A tight, well-insulated SIP home saves energy in both hot and cold climates. “It only costs an average of $200 to $300 a year to heat one of my SIP homes,” says Scott Bergford, Owner, Scott Homes – Builder of the Year in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and USDOE’s 2009 EnergyValue Housing Awards. “That’s anywhere from one-fifth to one-sixth the typical costs for this region,” adds the Olympia, Washington-based builder.

“While SIPS have been around for several decades, they are getting more attention as homeowners and commercial building owners are looking to build green,” says James Hodgson, general manager of Premier Building Systems. “The energy savings are pretty dramatic, and a SIP home or building costs about the same as wood frame construction.”

In addition to saving energy, SIPs help seal out pollutants such as radon, molds, and pollen for healthier indoor air, and reduce construction waste up to 60% by eliminating the need to cut studs, joists and other framing materials on site.

“A SIP home is a true green structure that looks just like any other home,” adds Hodgson. “SIPs fit with any architectural style, and virtually any floor plan can be easily converted to SIPs construction. Plus they are far stronger and straighter than buildings framed on site.”

This article was prepared by Real Estate & Investment Business editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Real Estate & Investment Business via VerticalNews.com.