Energy Codes - The Law of the Land

On December 30, the U.S. Department of Energy released its determination that the 2004 edition of the Energy Standard for Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, better known as ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004, would achieve greater energy efficiency in buildings subject to the code than the previous edition for which it made a determination, Standard 90.1-1999.

The quantitative analysis of the energy consumption of buildings built to Standard 90.1-2004, as compared with buildings built to Standard 90.1-1999, provided a conservative estimate of national source energy savings of 13.9 percent of commercial building energy consumption and site energy savings of 11.9 percent. As a result of this positive determination, each state is required to certify by December 30, 2010 that it has reviewed the provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency, and updated it as necessary meet or exceed the stringency of Standard 90.1-2004.

The QuickLinks to the right will provide you access to a variety of helpful tools with regards to previaling energy codes including:

• The lighting related criteria of ASHRAE 90.1 for the years 2001, 2004 & 2007
• The DOE site dedicated to supporting energy codes through access to articles, presentations, compliance software, etc.
• BCAP sites providing a quick way to see what codes have been adopted in what jurisdictions.