Publications

PNNL evaluated the cost effectiveness of the changes in the prescriptive and mandatory residential provisions of the 2021 edition of the IECC, compared to those in the prior edition, the 2018 IECC.

DOE supports the development of the International Code Council’s (ICC) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the national model code adopted by or forming the basis of residential energy codes promulgated by a majority of U.S. states, as well as other voluntary building energy codes. DOE performs a cost-effectiveness analysis of proposed modifications to the codes as part of that support and also performs an analysis of cost-effectiveness of new code versions.1 This document represents the methodology DOE uses in performing such analyses.

In this analysis, PNNL evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the changes in the prescriptive and mandatory residential provisions of the 2018 edition of the IECC compared to those in the prior edition, the 2015 IECC.

Technical analysis in support of the 2015 IECC Determination.

Technical analysis in support of the 2018 IECC Determination.

Described separately from the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study, this report is a simultaneous study of building air tightness occurred using several of the main study buildings and additional sites that met the building type criteria. Overall, 26 sites were evaluated this way using semi-automated testing equipment (blower doors).
 

Final report of the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study to validate the impact of building energy codes in low-rise multifamily buildings and identify opportunities for increased energy that can be addressed through workforce education & training programs. Results include both characteristics summaries (by state) and an analysis of the opportunities associated with increased code compliance on building energy use in the different climate zones. As well, the process of collecting and processing building data so that these estimates can be prepared is described in detail, with the intent that others could employ this process in future studies. This report also includes a market research component that describes interviews with key actors in the multifamily sector (building designers, developers, and builders) that focuses on various aspects of the code, including specific code details relevant to code education and training, and overall energy performance.

Field study data supporting the U.S. DOE Multifamily Residential Energy Efficiency Field Study to validate the impact of building energy codes in low-rise multifamily buildings and identify opportunities for increased energy that can be addressed through workforce education & training programs. This zip file contains individual documents listed below)

• Data Dictionary
• Entity Relationship Diagram
• Generic Read Me
• Illinois Summary Dataset
• Minnesota Summary Dataset
• Oregon Summary Dataset
• Washington Summary Dataset

Presentation slides from the 2019 National Energy Codes Conference that provided an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Codes residential field study Phase III data collection and findings.

The most recent edition, the 2021 IECC, was published on January 29, 2021, triggering the DOE review and determination process2. DOE and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted a technical analysis to determine energy savings for the 2021 IECC residential provisions relative to the previous edition, the 2018 IECC (ICC 2017). This report documents the methodology used to conduct the analysis and summarizes the results.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.

These analyses evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the prescriptive path of the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), relative to the 2015 IECC with amendments for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis covers one- and two-family dwelling units, townhouses, and low-rise multifamily residential buildings covered by the residential provisions of the 2018 IECC.