Building energy codes projected to save $126 billion in energy costs from 2010-2040

Building energy codes in the U.S. will produce a cumulative savings on energy costs of $126 billion from 2010-2040, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The savings from both the commercial and residential sectors is based on a projected reduction of 12.82 quads of primary energy. That translates to 841 million metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions.

Actual building energy usage would likely be lower than this projection, as savings from beyond-code programs, undertaken in some states, were not counted to make these projections. In addition, savings resulting from improvements in equipment efficiency due to federally mandated requirements were not included in the analysis.

The most recent three editions of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1 have the potential to reduce energy use by nearly 30% compared to codes a decade ago, DOE’s report states.