Abstract
Building energy code compliance is the crucial link between the actual energy savings and the efficiency prescribed in energy codes. A research project aiming to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption in new single-family residential construction by increasing compliance with the building energy code was conducted in several states of the United States. The study was comprised of three phases: (1) a baseline study to document typical practice and identify opportunities for improvement based on empirical data gathered from the field; (2) an education and training phase targeting the opportunities identified; and (3) a post-study to assess whether a reduction in average state-wide energy use could be achieved following the education and training phase. We proposed a novel methodology based on large-scale building energy simulation inferred by limited field data to assess the performance of a large population of homes. This paper presents the methodology, findings, and results of this study. The state-wide average energy consumption decreased at Phase III from Phase I for five of the seven states involved in the analysis. The measure-level savings potential analysis shows an overall reduction. Overall, the training and education phase plays a recognizable role in improving compliance with building energy codes.
Highlights
In the United States (U.S.), building energy use was responsible for 40% of total energy consumption and 75% of total electricity consumption in 2016 [1]
The third issue is that the distribution of the number of observations by the climate zone of individual key items differs in Phase III from Phase I in states with more than a single climate zone
When the distribution of key items by climate zone differs between Phase I and Phase III, randomly drawn observations from the pooled data for the state may lead to bias
Summary
In the United States (U.S.), building energy use was responsible for 40% of total energy consumption and 75% of total electricity consumption in 2016 [1]. To address the lack of information available on energy code impacts, the U.S Department of Energy initiated an Energy Code Field Study to help documenting baseline practices and targeting areas for improvement as well as further quantifying related savings potential [24]. This information is intended to assist states in measuring energy code compliance and to identify areas of focus for future education and training initiatives [37]
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