September 28th, 2018
by Michelle Britt

On Sept. 21, 2018, the President signed into law H.R. 5895 — the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019, which provides $827 million — a two-percent increase from last year — to the Department of Energy (DOE) to support building energy efficiency, hydrogen fuel technologies, and critical codes and standards. It also provides necessary funding to assist states in improving efficiency and resiliency efforts.

H.R. 5895 contains funding for hydrogen fuel research and development and for associated safety, codes and standards, which will extend the capabilities of renewable energy and improve grid stability. The legislation also funds the Building Technologies Office Building Energy Codes Program, which provides free compliance tools, training and education, and technical support to the building safety community and the public. The Building Energy Code Program’s highly trained scientists provide comprehensive energy efficiency analysis for code development work, state energy programs and other scenarios.

By 2040, the DOE expects that model building energy codes will save homeowners and businesses up to $126 billion in energy costs. Energy efficiency and building resilience are issues of critical importance to American homeowners and consumers and businesses. The building codes and standards promulgated by the International Code Council play a key role. In fact, the Code Council’s commitment to energy efficiency and conservation dates back to the 1970s when its legacy organizations first began developing model energy codes.

Today the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is used or adopted in 49 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and several other countries. To date, the IECC has saved U.S consumers over $44 billion and avoided 26 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Beyond energy savings, the IECC helps protect occupants from external hazards and maintain livable temperatures for longer in cases of extreme weather.

“The DOE programs have been invaluable to increasing public awareness and support of energy efficiency,” said International Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “As an international leader in supporting energy efficiency and resilience initiatives, we are excited to see these issues supported by the U.S. Congress and the President.”

About the Author
Michelle Britt
Michelle Britt is the former director of energy programs at the International Code Council. She has more than 15 years of experience impacting building energy use and broader sustainability and has served national, state and local governments; industry; and non-profits across the U.S. and the Pacific. Her broad background in land use and transportation planning and environmental impact analysis brings a holistic approach to her work in building energy. Previously, she was a partner with the Britt/Makela Group and a senior research scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s degree in architecture.