ACEEE | State Energy Efficiency Policy Database

Stringency– The Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) is in the process of adopting IECC 2012 (expected summer 2012) with state-specific amendments for both residential and commercial buildings, as the updated statewide baseline energy code. This update is supported by the Massachusetts Green Communities Act of 2009’s requirement to adopt each new IECC edition within one year of its publication.

Massachusetts is also in the process of updating its ‘stretch’ energy code – the 115 AA ‘Stretch’ Energy Code. The outgoing 2009 Stretch Code is approximately 20 percent more efficient than the 2009 IECC base energy code – and formed the basis of the IECC 2012 commercial energy chapter. While similar in scope, the new 2012 stretch code is updated to achieve approximately 15 percent more efficiency than the 2012 IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010. The stretch energy code is a local adoption code covering both residential and commercial buildings, and is currently adopted by 107 towns and cities, representing close to half the state population.

Compliance– A 2011-12 study of commercial building energy code compliance is nearing completion. This complements a two-part residential building energy code compliance study which sampled 40 homes built to the 2006 IECC, 40 homes built to ENERGY STAR (over a third of new construction), and another 40 built to the 2009 IECC. Results will be published the latter half of 2012. The BBRS, Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and other partners are planning a pilot evaluation of residential energy performance and code compliance that intends to inform how states determine code compliance rates. Enforcement is performed by local building code officials. In the 107 towns and cities that have elected to adopt the state’s ‘stretch’ energy code, enforcement of the building energy code is greatly assisted by the integrated role of HERS raters in the statewide New Homes with ENERGY STAR program.

The BBRS has technical staff that provides advice and training to local code officials and works with regional organizations of local code officials to discuss enforcement issues. The state requires that all code officials fulfill a set of certification requirements in all aspects of construction and code enforcement, which includes continuing education through certified courses. The Green Communities Act requires the BBRS and the DOER to develop specific energy efficiency training and certification for all local code officials. Consequently, the DOER sponsored over 40 trainings in 2011 on three related themes: ‘Smart Building’ training for residential contractors and code officials, trainings on Deep Energy Retrofit best practices and lessons learned from the statewide pilot, and on HVAC best practices.

Links:

EERE Building Energy Codes Program

Online Code Environment & Advocacy Network (OCEAN)

Board of Building Regulations and Standards

Department of Energy Resources

Contacts:

Ian Finlayson

Department of Energy Resources

Phone: 617-626-4910

Email: ian.finlayson@state.ma.us

Tom Riley, Code Development Manager

State Board of Building Regulations and Standards