Why We’re Watching

Commissioning, Residential testing, Model energy code adoption

Texas Energy Code Status

Updates

- Austin Energy Green Building released its annual report. In 2009, the program saved 30.7 million kilowatt hours.

- The Austin City Council approved energy code amendments on April 8, 2010. They include requiring duct blaster and blower door tests, CFL or LED lighting installation, and R-15 wall insulation  for new residential construction. It is estimated that the amendments will save consumers $165 per year in energy bills. The amendments fall in line with the goals of the Austin Climate Protection Plan, which seeks to increase building energy efficiency 65% over the 2007 code by 2015.

- The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) has officially adopted a rule to update the Texas Building Energy Performance Standards (currently based on the 2000 IECC with the 2001 Supplement) to the energy efficiency provisions (Chapter 11) of the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) for single family homes, effective January 1, 2012, and the 2009 IECC for all other buildings, effective January 1, 2011.

Background

Austin, TX is one of the fastest growing cities in America—and with good reason. The city offers something for everyone: the political fervor of a state capital, the laidback vibe of a college town, and the rapid pace of a booming business center. Although well-known as a progressive island in a staunchly conservative state, the city and its metro area try to strike a delicate political balance. Environmental issues often dominate local government, as the city’s success has fed urban and suburban growth, which some feel threaten the city’s core values. Nevertheless, Austin’s record of environmental concern and energy efficiency has earned it a spot on the short list of the country’s greenest cities.

Austin Energy, the city’s community-owned electric utility, is one of the driving forces behind the city’s efforts. Based on their recommendations and others from a number of city boards, commissions, and stakeholder groups, on Jan 1, 2008, the city council implemented the 2006 IECC with local strengthening amendments addressing  envelope performance, lighting requirements, HVAC reporting, reflective roofing, and vapor issues, among others. The most significant improvement was a mandatory third party envelope and duct testing requirement for residential construction. Utility staff also work with the building department to provide onsite inspections of homes prior to granting certificates of occupancy.

Not content with the current rate of progress, the city continues to take aggressive action towards raising the ceiling for energy efficiency and renewables. Austin Energy’s Green Building Program is one of the nation’s first and most successful green building programs for both residential and commercial construction. Moreover, in 2007, the city council passed a resolution to move towards net-zero-energy capable single-family homes by 2015 through specific incremental improvements in the code and the incorporation of design features that would more easily accommodate on-site energy generation in the future.

Austin in 2010

Model Code Adoption

Austin is nearing the end of its current energy code adoption cycle. The city will hold hearings on the 2009 IECC in April 2010 and expects to implement the new code by early summer. 

Commissioning

Austin Energy and other participating stakeholder groups have put together a new set of amendments based on upcoming national language to incorporate commissioning of mechanical systems into the code.  Although a difficult element to codify, responsible commissioning is essential to achieving long-term improvements in commercial building performance. Austin Energy believes that their commissioning language will be the toughest in the nation, but they have also emphasized the workability of this requirement in order to leave the building industry with plenty of breathing room to adjust. Their primary goal is to make owners and builders aware of the benefits commissioning offers for saving money and improving the quality of their buildings. As with the residential testing provisions, the city anticipates the need to tighten and perhaps expand commissioning requirements in future code cycles. 

Beyond commissioning, the city’s energy code amendments will improve the basic performance of most HVAC systems by addressing leakage issues common to certain types of installations. For example, the requirement to encapsulate wall insulation will enhance the thermal envelope of commercial buildings. Furthermore, the utility is working with the inspections department to provide training to improve the consistency of energy code enforcement for all code requirements. These and other amendment items attempt to piggyback on the improvements to the national codes and ultimately provide Austin with the most conservative approach possible to energy use and carbon reduction.

Residential Testing Requirements

Austin’s proposed amendments to the 2009 IECC include strengthening the existing residential testing requirements put in place during previous code cycles. One of the key amendments is to eliminate the entrenched allowance for batch testing of homes. Batch testing occurs when the builder chooses one home to represent a handful of homes at the same stage of construction. It was set up at a time when third party testing agencies were in their infancy. The proposed amendment will eliminate it for single-family homes, but builders will continue to hire the third party tester responsible for inspecting the homes. Batch testing will remain in place for multi-family residential structures since it is reasonable for these types of projects.

Program Contact

Michael Husted, LEEP AP
Energy Code Specialist, Commercial Program
Austin Energy
721 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704-1145
Tel: (512) 482-5445
Email: michael.husted@austinenergy.com

More Information

Austin Energy

Texas State Energy Conservation Office

City of Austin