Breaking The Codes There’s often confusion about the difference between energy codes and energy standards. In a nutshell, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is what’s known as a Model Energy Code, a set of enforceable, mandatory rules that can be adopted by local jurisdictions to improve energy efficiency in homes. Energy standards, on the other hand, such as those published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, are voluntary recommendations for better energy conservation.

Codes such as the IECC are often adopted by local jurisdictions, where they become mandatory rules. But confusion can arise when local jurisdictions adopt voluntary energy standards and make them part of their local mandatory requirements. When that happens, these voluntary standards are no longer voluntary.

It’S A Wash In the past year, home heating costs have shot up as much as 35 percent due to volatility in fossil fuel supplies. At the same time, overall energy consumption by the residential sector continues to grow at a steady pace (currently about 22 percent of all energy produced in the United States).

This data illustrate that despite dramatic gains in energy-saving construction techniques, more efficient appliances, and savvy clients, the industry has little to show overall for its labors. That’s because population growth, larger floor plans, and increasing electrical losses due to “phantom” power devices that use power even when the device is turned off continue to counteract the positive impact of the latest energy-saving efforts.