Code Council boosts energy savings, may face test in WA Legislature

State energy code upgrade will help Washington hit climate protection goals

The Washington State Building Code Council has adopted improvements to the state energy code that will make Washington’s new buildings 15% to 18% more energy efficient than required today, making them more affordable through lower energy bills. The Council’s action also is a significant step in helping Washington meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emission limits.

“We applaud the Council for continuing the state’s leadership in energy efficiency,’’ said Kim Drury, manager of the NW Energy Coalition’s Efficiency Works! campaign. “Buyers of new homes, people who remodel, and businesses building new or renovating existing facilities all will see substantial long-term energy savings.”

The only thing in the way of enacting the Council’s new code is the Washington Legislature, whose Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee has taken the unprecedented step of formally voting to delay adopting the rules until it receives a complete economic analysis from the Code Council. Putting aside the fact  the state Department of Commerce provided substantial cost-benefit analysis during the Council’s hearing process, the Committee’s action clouds the precise path to adopting the rules. Legislators may have to hear from constituents that these common sense energy standards should be adopted on schedule in July.

The Council’s action builds on broad policy support in Washington for more energy efficient buildings as a way to secure a clean energy future and combat climate change. Gov. Gregoire and her Climate Advisory Team, a diverse group of business and government leaders, have called for a 30% increase in the state energy code. Thirty-four Washington cities have committed to increase energy efficiency by signing on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

“Although we didn’t reach the 30 percent target, the code change is a significant step forward,” said Drury. “The current code was pretty good. Now it will be even better.”

The improvements contained in the new code come at a bargain price; analysis by the Washington State Department of Commerce Energy Policy Division says improved technology, air sealing, testing and labeling will add about $1 per square foot to a new house. The owner of a 2,000-square-foot house will earn that back in energy-bill savings in a year or less, pocketing the annual savings every year there after.

“Strong energy codes are the foundation for a new energy economy,’’ said K.C. Golden, policy director of Climate Solutions. “It’s the smartest, simplest thing we can do to save consumers money and put the brakes on climate disruption. With the holiday approaching, we can be thankful that the Building Code Council took this good strong step forward!”

Among the residential code improvements passed by the Council are:

• Programmable thermostats on all primary heating systems
• Air leakage testing with a “blower door” for all new homes
• Duct testing for all new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
• Posting of a certificate of residential energy efficiency features on new homes

Commercial improvements include:

• Upgrades to lighting controls, including occupancy sensors and technology to take better advantage of daylight
• Upgraded insulation for ceilings
• More energy efficient windows
• Sub-metering for tenants to help them manage energy use

The code improvements become effective July 1, 2010.

The improvements are smart policy long-term energy policy, according to analysis by the NW Energy Coalition. Since 1980 the region has saved enough energy to power three cities the size of Seattle – and about 20% of that comes from energy codes in Washington and Oregon. The Coalition’s Power of Efficiency report shows that the Pacific Northwest can save enough electricity to meet all its new, non-transportation demand through 2020. The region can meet half the new natural gas demand with efficiency.

The report, consistent with analysis by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, shows that a unit of energy saved through efficiency measures like those contained in the new energy code costs roughly half as much as a unit of energy supplied by new power plants or pipelines.

“The beauty of energy codes is that the savings are pretty much hard-wired. The buildings built today will be with us for the next 50 to 100 years saving energy and saving money,” said Drury. “It’s expensive and often impossible to achieve the same energy savings that can be built in so economically when it’s constructed – an opportunity we can’t afford to lose.”

Contact for more info:

Kim Drury, NW Energy Coalition (206) 621-0094, kim@nwenergy.org
John Healy, NW Energy Coalition (206) 621-0094, john@nwenergy.org